The benefits of AI for crash avoidance

Speakers in the Digitalisation and AI session at Seawork’s Get Set for Workboat 2050 event in Rotterdam last week showed the work going on to exploit new digital technologies to refine operations and make them safer. 

Phil Thompson, head of commercial product development with BMT, presented his company’s Rembrandt interactive simulator, which forms the basis of BMT’s new DISC simulation hub in the UK. 

“We have recently seen large ships hitting quays and bridges, and we have been looking at the root causes with machine-learning software, which uses models and patterns to identify outcomes,” he said. 

Averting disaster

Two years, ago, the container ship Dali struck Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which then collapsed, killing six workers. The incident caused an estimated $3 billion in damage.

“With the Dali crash in Baltimore for example, by using our Rembrandt interactive simulator and modelling everything – the wind, water, waves, bollard pull, number of tugs, turning circles and replaying it with or without tug assists, we ran through the variables and actually discovered that if it had happened later, 2,000 people would have died,” Mr Thompson told delegates. 

“They found that for the sake of an escort tug, and the ship going too fast, the crash happened. Our system is crucial for learning lessons then predicting future outcomes, not just learning from them.” 

John Hearn, senior underwriter with UK P&I Club, said that in his experience, ports in the US were not keen on paying for escort tugs. 

“Their method is to simply reinforce all their bridges,” he said. 

Intelligent vessel availability 

Nauticworx is working on a completely different but no less AI-powered technology: A system that can not only find available vessels quickly for operators, but finds the exact kind the operator needs. 

“Nauticworx makes recommendations and predicts what’s needed before you’ve even thought of it,” said managing director and co-founder Friso Visser. 

“The impact of AI is far more profound on society and economics than the internet has ever been. Increased efficiency in vessel utilisation will expand commercial reach.” 

Working with Nauticworx on its system is Iquality, which is developing AI agents (bots) that will go further and make connections between operator and vessel owner. 

 “The goal is to make data helpful,” said CEO John van Beek.