Last updated: July 9, 2026
Collision avoidance is essential to navigation safety.
Whether piloting a cargo ship or a center console, collision avoidance is a key consideration for maritime safety. Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) can track and identify a wide range of vessels, overlaying this data on an electronic chart that also displays land, depth contours, fixed navigation marks, and obstructions. Radar detects targets based on their range, radar signature, and the quality and configuration of the receiving radar equipment, but not all signals are clearly displayed. Then there are the numerous objects that neither AIS nor radar can detect. These include vessels without AIS, those with poor radar signatures, larger debris, rock jetties, large marine animals basking on the surface (think whales), and individuals in the water. That’s when forward-looking sonar comes in.
Effective collision avoidance systems are essential, and both SEA.AI and FarSounder have solutions to maintain safe navigation.
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Collision Avoidance with SEA.AI
Since its launch in 2018, SEA.AI has developed innovative products that combine the very latest in machine vision and artificial intelligence (AI) technology to enhance detection capabilities beyond conventional AIS and radar systems for vessels of all sizes.
The SEA.AI system gathers input from onboard cameras, whether low-light or thermal, and analyzes each pixel of the video feed using AI. The images are compared in real time with SEA.AI’s database of objects (that keeps growing) to determine whether or not an object seen by the cameras represents a threat. The equipment works 24/7 and is trained to recognize potential collision threats as well as persons in the water regardless of visibility or the size of the sea state.
Their latest offering is called Brain, an innovation created to enhance existing thermal camera systems and transform them into intelligent, automated detection tools. This is designed for those vessels already fitted with commonly used ONVIF-S compatible thermal cameras, such as FLIR. SEA.AI points out that manual monitoring of thermal cameras can lead to missed detections, but with its vision algorithms, Brain automates object detection and tracking to ensure real-time alerts for even the smallest hazards, such as lobster buoys. Brain seamlessly upgrades existing cameras without complex installations or high expense.
“With the introduction of Brain, we are steering a major evolution in maritime safety technology,” said Marcus Warrelmann, CEO of SEA.AI. “Backed by six years of pioneering machine vision in the maritime sector, SEA.AI continues to lead the market with innovative solutions. This product allows vessels of all kinds to access the power of our proven technology without requiring significant upgrades to existing systems. By making machine vision more accessible, we’re accelerating its adoption across the globe.”
Machine vision technology is already a standard in the automotive industry, and SEA.AI’s Brain should accelerate the integration of AI-driven vision systems in maritime applications and, perhaps, a new level of safety and security at sea. sea.ai
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FarSounder and Forward-looking Sonar
Flotsam is hard to detect because a lot of it may be underwater with just a portion breaking the surface. Radar and AIS systems aren’t going to help much, but a forward-looking sonar can improve navigation safety by seeing underwater hazards, including pilings, shallow bottoms, even whales. FarSounder’s Argos 1000 sonar system can detect those hazards up to 1,000 meters (just over a half nautical mile) ahead of the vessel in speeds up to 25 knots. Not only that, the system offers real-time imagery in three dimensions (3D).
FarSounder’s patented technology is based on a combination of advanced acoustics and signal-processing techniques that provides a wide field of view (up to 60 degrees at 1,000 meters) and up to eight times the current water depth (detecting the seabed up to 160 meters away at a 20-meter depth).
Forward-looking 3D sonar technology gives the captain several key advantages to navigational safety. Besides detecting obstacle and hazards ahead, the system complements chart data by mapping the seafloor of objects that may not show on a chart, especially in remote or less-surveyed areas. The system also enhances situational awareness to take
the surprise out of unknown obstacles which helps to prevent groundings and collisions. It’s particularly helpful in low visibility too.
The FarSounder lineup of single-ping Argos sonars have a fast update rate to provide vessels with real-time navigation imagery. farsounder.com
-by Jeremy Peters
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