China develops 360-Degree Maritime Vision System allowing it to improve navigation safety in challenging conditions.
Chinese researchers have developed an advanced maritime vision system designed to provide ships with complete 360-degree visibility, significantly enhancing navigation safety in low visibility conditions such as darkness and fog.
As global trade relies heavily on maritime transport, crowded shipping lanes have increased the risk of collisions. Traditional ship vision systems, typically equipped with only two or three cameras, offer limited 120-degree coverage, leaving dangerous blind spots.
Cai Chengtao, the dean of the College of Intelligent Systems Science and Engineering at Harbin Engineering University, emphasized that accurate obstacle detection and enhanced situational awareness are vital to preventing collisions.
He noted that unpredictable weather, like fog and storms, often disrupts ship operations, resulting in reduced efficiency and increased operational costs.
This groundbreaking system, developed over 14 years of research at the university, is China’s first all-weather, high-resolution panoramic vision solution for maritime applications.
The technology incorporates a dual-module design with 8 to 12 cameras per unit, using both visible-light and far-infrared sensors to maintain reliable performance in various visibility conditions.
Cai highlighted the system’s core innovation: its ability to seamlessly integrate camera feeds into a unified 360-degree view for onboard navigation and remote monitoring centers in real time.
The system has already proven its value during three years of use by successfully predicting and preventing ship collisions due to blind spots, resulting in substantial economic benefits, according to Zeng Bowen, a faculty member involved in the project.
Currently deployed on China’s intelligent research vessel Haitun 1, the technology is also being applied in key maritime operations such as tugboat assistance and port surveillance systems.
Looking forward, the system may expand its applications to autonomous vessels, environmental monitoring networks, and intelligent transportation infrastructure, representing a significant advancement for global intelligent transportation systems.
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