All-seeing, all-knowing and forever learning, the AI Brain does not miss a trick.

With artificial intelligence increasingly making itself felt in today’s technology, it is no surprise that it is doing the same in the world of marine electronics. Recently launched by SEA.AI, the Brain is doing exactly that. What the Brain does is take what a thermal or low-light camera can see and then interpret it in a similar way to a human. Like a human, the Brain is constantly scanning the horizon and then making its mind up about what it can see.

The SEA.AI app in alarm mode.

It can zoom in on distant targets.

Though the Brain can work with third-party camera systems, SEA.AI have their own range of ‘robot eyes’ – particularly the ‘Sentry’ developed for use on powered craft of all sizes. Weighing just 5.4kg, it can be mounted in most locations and can scan 360 degrees, so there are no blind spots. It has two thermal and two low-light cameras, is gyro/digitally stabilised and has a tilt angle of +/- 20 degrees. Its standard ‘out-of-the-box’ template in terms of recognition is 700m for a buoy/person, 3000m for a RIB/tender, 7500m for a motor boat/yacht, and large vessels can be detected out to the horizon. It has a target tracking facility: keeping your selected object centre screen, there is a perimeter surveillance mode, collision avoidance alarms and a manual 8x electronic zoom. The one drawback is that even though the thermal camera can detect temperature differences of 0.05 degrees centigrade, its ability to see through rain and fog diminishes over distance. Ideally it is intended to work in conjunction with radar and/or AIS, as both systems can provide the Brain with bearings and/or coordinates.

The Brain itself.

Put simply, the Brain shows you where to look and what you are looking at. The sea is an endless variable in terms of appearance, and abnormalities in the form of foreign objects are pretty much impossible to detect at distance. In testing conditions, the Brain’s virtually infinite memory can recognise what we can’t, especially as it does not suffer from memory fade over time. Following an audible alarm, objects will be highlighted on screen and identified – perfect for MOB scenarios and single-crew skippers. The question is: where does the Brain get such a memory to start with? Apparently, yachtsmen have been sharing a vast accumulation of data from all corners of the globe and in all conditions with SEA.AI for years. SEA.AI, as pioneers in the field of ‘machine vision’ for maritime applications, have a team of over 60 spread across the US, France, Portugal and Austria, working on projects from smart optical sensors to software solutions that integrate AI with machine vision.

Picking up what the eye can’t see.

With or without AI in thermal mode.

The iterative software is in effect on a constant learning curve, improving and extending its ability to recognise, particularly in different sea conditions. This cycle of improvement is continually being enhanced by software updates. The Brain works with either the vessel’s MFD, a computer, or a tablet through the intuitive SEA.AI app.

Contact www.sea.ai