{"id":43745,"date":"2021-01-19T21:53:42","date_gmt":"2021-01-20T02:53:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/?p=43745"},"modified":"2023-05-06T17:41:21","modified_gmt":"2023-05-06T21:41:21","slug":"collision-avoidance-system-for-sailboats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/story\/gear\/collision-avoidance-system-for-sailboats\/","title":{"rendered":"Collision Avoidance System for Sailboats"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"container <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Thousands of containers are lost overboard annually, posing a threat to mariners.<\/span>\n Alamy<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

The first lesson that I learned about \u00adPacific Northwest <\/a>sailing \u00adafter moving here from New \u00adEngland in 2009 was that Puget Sound doesn\u2019t get much breeze in the summer. The second was that it\u2019s crucial to keep a constant vigil for logs and large branches. Worse still are deadheads. Having \u00adattended more than my share of Grateful Dead concerts, I thought I had a good pulse on the latter, but my third lesson was that\u2014in Pacific Northwest vernacular\u2014deadheads refer to logs or entire trees (and root balls) that have taken on so much water that they float vertically, often revealing only a few precious inches of freeboard. Unlike the tie-dyed variety, these deadheads can wreak havoc on hulls. \u00adEleven years in, I\u2019ve had \u00adnumerous close calls, and I try not to think about the near misses that went unnoticed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, cutting-edge technology now exists that mitigates the danger of \u00adhitting myriad obstacles that are \u00adincreasingly found at sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

While mariners have \u00adfretted about collisions since \u00adhumankind first took to the \u00adwater, \u00adrecent years have seen a \u00admassive uptick both in global shipping of containers, which can sometimes wash overboard, and all sorts of \u00adother debris. At the same time, a growing number of sailors are exploring the high latitudes, where they encounter icebergs and bergy bits. Then, there\u2019s the jaw-dropping speeds that are being achieved by modern racing and foiling yachts, including IMOCA 60s and the massive 100-plus-foot \u00adUltim trimarans, which regularly exceed 30 knots and 45 knots, respectively. Even \u201caverage\u201d cruising boats sail faster \u00adtoday than years ago thanks to their \u00adprogressively \u00adlonger waterlines, \u00admodern sail plans, and improved weather-\u00adrouting \u00adcapabilities. This \u00adbolstered performance\u2014from record-\u00adsetters to family cruisers\u2014is a good thing, but it reduces reaction time if a crewmember spots something in the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Tackling the problem head-on, BSB Marine has developed its Oscar collision-avoidance system<\/a>, which uses daylight and thermal-imaging cameras, \u00adartificial intelligence, deep learning, and machine vision to make sailors aware of navigational hazards and give them enough time to make course corrections. Cooler still, some Oscar systems can autonomously control the boat\u2019s autopilot to change course (see below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

In terms of hardware, all Oscar systems consist of a \u00advision unit that has three masthead-mounted \u00adcameras, a belowdecks-mounted \u00adcentral processing unit, and a \u00addedicated app to monitor and control the gear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

The vision unit weighs less than 2 pounds and houses two FLIR-built Boson thermal-\u00adimaging camera cores, as well as one color (red, green, blue or RGB) daylight camera. The thermal-imaging cameras deliver a horizontal field of view of 50 to 123 degrees, and a \u00advertical field of view of 32 to 71 degrees, depending on the model; higher-end systems use higher-resolution thermal imagers and can operate at \u00adlonger ranges. The RGB camera offers a 120-degree horizontal view and a 96-degree vertical coverage. With these cameras, developers say Oscar can detect and identify objects in its video stream that are just 4-by-4 pixels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Aboard a sailboat, the vision unit is mounted on an articulating bracket and can adjust for mast rotation. The unit also has an inertial measurement unit that electronically stabilizes the cameras\u2019 real-time imagery, which is shared with the CPU via an Ethernet cable that is run inside the mast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"FLIR <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n FLIR cameras are used in Oscar\u2019s masthead eye in the sky.<\/span>\n Courtesy The Manufacturer<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

The CPU is a black-box computer that employs \u00admachine-vision algorithms and embedded AI to analyze and inspect the incoming video stream in search of dangerous objects. Oscar determines the target\u2019s location and proximity to the vessel based on the camera\u2019s known position and orientation in space, and\u2014when available\u2014it also uses the \u00adhorizon as a reference point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cOscar takes pictures and synchronizes them with the [stabilizer] and CPU, and \u00addetermines what\u2019s \u00adwater and what\u2019s not,\u201d explains \u00adRaphael Biancale, BSB Marine\u2019s co-founder. \u201cOscar tries to identify objects based on their picture, and it locates objects around the boat over \u00adseveral frames to determine their speed and direction. Then it calculates the probability of collision.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

In addition to its hardware, Oscar includes an Android-, iOS- and Windows-friendly app, which can reside on a PC, smartphone, tablet or\u2014thanks to the system\u2019s NMEA-2000 compatibility\u2014chart \u00adplotter. The app provides a visual \u00adreference depicting where a target or multiple targets are on a radar-range-like graphical screen, and it delivers AIS-like information, including the target\u2019s speed, bearing and closest-point-of-approach data. Additionally, the app can \u00adtrigger onboard alarms, \u00adwarning of detected targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Each Oscar set leaves the factory with an AI \u00adsystem trained at using an image \u00addatabase of 50,000,000 (and counting) images. These \u00adimages range from common \u00adobjects such as ships, yachts and aids to navigation, to \u00admyriad \u00admarine species, to \u00adspecific nonwater targets such as \u00adsargassum seaweed. The \u00addatabase also includes \u00adimages of the \u00adwater in all sea states, weather conditions and lighting (daytime and moonlight) \u00adscenarios. Oscar uses its onboard AI to compare \u00addetected targets with this database to determine what each object is and the threat level that it poses. \u00adAdditionally, BSB \u00adMarine has partnered with \u00adseveral high-\u00adprofile ocean-\u00adracing teams that record all of their Oscar-captured \u00advideo \u00adimagery, which they share with the company once they\u2019re back ashore. Once received, BSB Marine carefully labels, \u00adannotates, and compiles this information and updates all Oscar users\u2019 image databases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"cruising <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Oscar was developed for high-end race boats but can assist shorthanded cruising crews as well.<\/span>\n Courtesy The Manufacturer<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

Then, each Oscar system\u2019s ability to identify targets improves as it spends time at sea thanks to its AI and embedded deep-learning capability. \u00adOscar, for instance, knows what ferries look like, and it \u201clearns\u201d to recognize them from \u00addifferent angles and distances, and in various sea states, \u00adtemperatures and lighting conditions. \u00adNewfound \u201cknowledge\u201d\u2014much like the data that\u2019s gathered by racing teams\u2014is shared with other Oscar users to help improve the systems\u2019 abilities to recognize objects and minimize false alarms. \u00adAccording to Biancale, racing crews might see one false alarm per 24 hours, while cruisers might trigger an alarm every few days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cIdentification is valuable,\u201d Biancale says, noting that sleeping whales behave differently than semisubmerged shipping containers or buoys and other aids to navigation. \u201cYou need to predict where the whale will go,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Once Oscar identifies a \u00adtarget in its video stream, its AI starts working. \u201cIt looks for any disturbance in the water,\u201d Biancale says. \u201cOscar detects anything that\u2019s different than the water background, which is known. It tries to detect things that aren\u2019t in the database.\u201d Regardless of \u00adwhether a spotted target is in its \u00addatabase, Oscar is designed to \u00adeither alert its crew to its presence so that they can \u00admanually confirm a course \u00adcorrection or, if interfaced with an \u00adautopilot, evade the object.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

BSB Marine is \u00admarketing four versions of Oscar to \u00adsailors, starting with its top-of-the-line system that\u2019s \u00adcurrently in use aboard high-\u00adperformance ocean-racing yachts, including IMOCA 60s and Ultims. Oscar Custom Sailing is a fully \u00adloaded system that employs dual high-resolution FLIR-built thermal-\u00adimaging cameras with a \u00adtarget-detection range of up to 3,040 feet. Given the speeds that IMOCA 60s and Ultims regularly tick off and the fact that 3,040 feet buys only 40 to 60 seconds of warning \u00adbefore a collision, this high-end \u00adsystem autonomously controls the boat\u2019s autopilot system. Once Oscar detects a target, the system performs its identification and filtration work in one second, and it takes an \u00adadditional 2 seconds to \u00adadjust the autopilot\u2019s heading to a safer course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Biancale notes that grand-prix-level autopilots are always planning an escape route, say if the boat gets hit with an \u00adunexpected wind shift or off-kilter wave, and this same functionality helps the boat avoid a crash gybe if Oscar \u00addetects a target while the boat is broad reaching or running close to dead downwind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

The Oscar Advanced 640 also employs dual \u00adhigh-\u00adresolution FLIR-built thermal-\u00adimaging cameras, but they have a somewhat smaller field of view. They still deliver a target-detection range of up to 3,040 feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

The Oscar Advanced 320 delivers the same autonomous autopilot controls and daylight camera as BSM Marine\u2019s other Oscar systems, but it uses lower-resolution FLIR cameras. The result is a system that delivers a range of up to 1,970 feet, making it suitable for sailboats in the 50- to 80-foot range. At 10 knots, a boat will take 1 minute, 56 seconds to sail this distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

The cruiser-friendly Oscar One 320 system is also available, and Biancale says it uses the same daylight RGB camera as the other Oscar systems and the FLIR thermal-\u00adimaging cameras that are found on the Oscar Advanced 320, with a maximum range of 1,970 feet. The difference, however, involves what happens once the system detects a target. Instead of autonomously changing the autopilot\u2019s course, this system will instead sound alarms and require the \u00adskipper or crew to confirm a target via the app before ordering the autopilot to change course. While this might sound like a smaller margin of error, it\u2019s important to remember the speeds involved: At 7 knots, a sailboat takes 2 minutes, 46 seconds to travel 1,970 feet, which should be ample time for a crew that\u2019s maintaining a proper watch to respond to the app\u2019s alarm and course-\u00adcorrection request on their phone, computer or plotter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Oscar <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Images detected by Oscar are displayed on a radarlike range.<\/span>\n Courtesy The Manufacturer<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

While Oscar\u2019s advantages are easy to spot for anyone who has dodged Pacific Northwest deadheads or debris en route to Bermuda, its \u00addisadvantages are harder to spy. There\u2019s cost, of course\u2014systems start at about $15,000\u2014but this becomes quite reasonable when compared with the price of a serious fiberglass repair job or an \u201copportunity\u201d to test out the life raft (or worse). One could also argue that the masthead cameras and Ethernet cable in the spar add weight aloft, though not much: The \u00adcameras and bracket weigh less than 2 pounds, and the cable weighs roughly 1.1 pounds per 30 feet. If weight is indeed critical, lighter halyards could be \u00adpurchased to compensate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

That said, it\u2019s important to remember that Oscar is \u00addesigned for offshore use, not for carrying a full press of \u00adcanvas into San Francisco Bay or the Port of New York and New Jersey. \u201cThere\u2019s no limit to the number of targets that Oscar can detect, but there\u2019s a \u00adlimit to the number that it can evade,\u201d Biancale says, adding that the system can simultaneously dodge \u201cseveral\u201d targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

One consideration, \u00adhowever, is that Oscar is an optical-based system, and its cameras are beholden to the laws of physics. For example, Oscar\u2019s daylight RGB camera suffers from a blind spot created by direct sunlight. While this isn\u2019t an issue for the system\u2019s thermal-imaging \u00adcameras, these cameras don\u2019t work well in thick fog or rain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

That said, if you\u2019re outfitting a bluewater vessel for a transoceanic cruise, Oscar makes a lot of sense, especially when shorthanded watches, \u00adlimited sleep and habitually tired eyes are involved. As for spotting deadheads, BSB Marine\u2019s \u00addatabase includes this imagery, freeing sailors to instead use their binoculars to enjoy the panorama around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

David Schmidt is <\/i>CW\u2019s electronics editor.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n\n

Collateral Losses<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n

Given the sheer scale of international shipping and commerce, it should come as no surprise that some goods get lost in transit. The problem, of course, is that when ships lose cargo, they aren\u2019t accidentally dropping a single shoebox of, say, Nike sneakers. Rather, they\u2019re losing entire shipping containers of goods. While some lucky beachcombers occasionally find washed-up plunder, these wayward containers have the potential\u2014if encountered at the wrong time and angle\u2014to quickly sink boats. And while the world\u2019s oceans contain a heck of a lot of real estate, experts estimate that between 1,400 and 15,000 shipping containers are lost annually. But, notes BSB Marine on a frequently asked questions page: \u201cContainers are either floating or sinking but do not remain in shallow depth because the two stable positions are either floating, when the container mass-to-volume is less than 1 kilogram per liter, or sinking if it is above 1 kilogram per liter. You can experience it by putting objects in a glass of water; trying to have anything just below the surface is next to impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

While this doesn\u2019t \u00adabsolve these navigational dangers\u2014or their environmental impacts\u2014it does mean that if there\u2019s a container bow on, Oscar can detect it.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A collision-avoidance system for high-performance racing sailboats has the potential to make watchkeeping safer for cruisers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33121,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"David Schmidt","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"20210119","hydra_display_updated":false,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"163","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Oscar, a collision-avoidance system for high-performance racing sailboats, has the potential to make watchkeeping safer for cruising sailors.","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","arc_story_id":"5333SJZEWBBZBCJMCMHLCJ7MOA","arc_website_url":"story\/gear\/collision-avoidance-system-for-sailboats\/","custom_permalink":"story\/gear\/collision-avoidance-system-for-sailboats\/","arc_subtype":"right-sidebar","arc_exclude_from_feeds":false,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"sponsored_image":0,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[163],"tags":[157,515,1232],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43745"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43745"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43745\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}