Laura Shaughnessy is the former managing editor at Dockwalk.
Okay, so maybe you won’t win any Oscar awards, but by investing in one of these AI-operated safety systems, you just might feel on top of the world knowing it could save your life while at sea.
The OSCAR One 320, released in September 2020, is an automated monitoring system that supports good navigation and helps prevent collisions with floating objects at sea by combining optical sensors and artificial intelligence. The OSCAR assesses and warns you of the risks of colliding in real-time and was specifically designed to detect hazards that escape detection by radars, AIS, or sonar. Essentially, it helps you do your job as captain by keeping your crew and guests safe in the most seamless way possible.
“For the first time, OSCAR’s eyes and brain have been combined in one single unit,” says Patrick Haebig, marketing and business development for BSB Artificial Intelligence. “Objects such as containers, whales, trees, [people], etc. are usually only visible once it is too late,” says Haebig. “OSCAR is the perfect supplement to your marine electronics.”
OSCAR spots things in the water up to the horizon and will warn if an object is within 1,000 meters. “It’s not only a safety thing, but also a security thing because depending on the OSCAR model, you can see intruders and objects that get closer to you,” he says, explaining that custom solutions will look 360° around your boat. It warns you acoustically, as well as through pop-up warnings on your multi-function display.
“I think something that is in the range of a thousand meters is really frightening if it’s something like a container that is coming up that other systems couldn’t see,” he says. The relevant distance is about 1,000 meters and, depending on the speed you’re going, you can easily steer the boat around it.
The lightweight and energy-efficient OSCAR does a lot behind the scenes. And thanks to being developed in partnership with leading offshore racing teams, it’s a trusted source with user-friendly application. It’s compatible with rotating masts.
OSCAR is made in Austria by BSB Artificial Intelligence and developed in partnership with its sister company BSB Marine. €9,990 (excluding VAT).
This column is taken from the December 2020 issue of Dockwalk.