Chinese researchers have successfully developed an advanced maritime vision system that grants ships comprehensive 360-degree situational awareness. This innovative technology is designed to dramatically enhance navigation safety, particularly in situations where visibility is severely limited, such as during nighttime, in foggy conditions, or other adverse weather, reports Xinhua.
Innovative System
The increasing congestion in global shipping lanes, a crucial element of international trade, has amplified the risk of collisions at sea. Traditional ship vision systems, limited to two or three cameras, typically provide only 120-degree coverage, leaving significant and potentially hazardous blind spots.
Cai Chengtao, dean of the College of Intelligent Systems Science and Engineering at Harbin Engineering University in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, emphasized the importance of enhanced obstacle detection and broader situational awareness for collision prevention. He also noted that unpredictable weather conditions, such as fog and storms, frequently lead to operational halts for ships, negatively impacting efficiency and increasing costs.
To address these challenges, researchers at Harbin Engineering University have developed an innovative, all-weather, high-resolution panoramic vision system for maritime applications. This technology, the first of its kind in China, is the result of 14 years of dedicated research.
The system employs a dual-module design, incorporating 8 to 12 cameras per unit. Critically, it integrates both visible-light and far-infrared sensors. This dual-sensor approach ensures reliable and effective performance across a wide range of visibility conditions, including those compromised by adverse weather.
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Source: Xinhua
