Boston-based Sea Machines Robotics, Inc. has just unveiled a new marine computer vision navigation system designed to improve safety and performance while vessels are underway.

Sea Machines’ new AI-ris, (Artificial Intelligence Recognition and Identification System) uses digital cameras and AI-processing to detect, track, classify and geolocate objects, vessel traffic and other potential obstacles in the majority of operational conditions, day or night, to equip crew with best-in-class situational awareness. Computer vision helps improve safety for vessels and is also a critical technology for the advancement of autonomous command and control systems.

The need for this technology is clear. Boats and ships operate in the planet’s most dynamic environment and the limitations of conventional navigation sensors leave the bulk of perception work to the human eye and brain for continuous scanning of the waterway.

Fatigue, distraction, and confusion can lead to misses and mistakes. The U.S. Coast Guard reported that in 2020, 36 percent of boating accidents were collisions and allisions, with the primary cause being improper lookouts and operator inattention.

The commercial marine industry suffers from similar challenges. Sea Machines designed AI-ris to be ever-alert, with the ability to deliver predictable operational results that can improve vessel reliability, as well as eliminate liabilities caused by human error. Now commercially available, this technology can radically improve vessel safety.

THE FUTURE OF OCEAN MOBILITY

“Sea Machines is dedicated to building the future of ocean mobility. We envision a future with fewer accidents at sea. We are revolutionizing marine navigation with data-driven intelligence, autonomy and connectivity,” said Sea Machines CEO Michael G. Johnson. “AI-ris enables a tremendous performance and safety increase. The superior capabilities of computer vision and AI will ensure a safer, more productive voyage.”

“AI-ris is always scanning for obstacles and can alert the operator of potentially dangerous situations. It also labels objects very small in size, like swimmers, kayakers or animals, to those very large, like another ship,” said Trevor Vieweg, CTO at Sea Machines. “With the ability to detect, classify and geolocate such targets via optical sensors, AI-ris augments and surpasses the capabilities of existing marine sensor technologies, like radar and automatic identification system (AIS), enabling greater performance and achieving the highest levels of safety. In the future, this technology may also help responders detect marine oil spills.”

The AI-ris navigation system is commercially available now and can be installed aboard existing vessels, as well as newbuilds.

The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy cadet formerly known only as “Midshipman X” has now revealed her identity. She is Hope Hicks and is one of two USMAA students who are filing related complaints against Maersk Line Limited in New York state court.

The complaints are being filed on the plaintiffs’ behalf by law firms Sanford Heisler Sharp and Maritime Legal Solutions. They allege that Maersk failed to adequately protect USMMA midshipmen from sexual assault and sexual harassment while working aboard Maersk ships as part of the USMMA’s Sea Year program.

Hope Hicks, whose complaint was filed yesterday, shook the maritime industry last year when, under the name “Midshipman X,” she publicly described her treatment while serving as an engine cadet aboard a Maersk Line ship, identified in yesterday’s filing as the Alliance Fairfax

SAME SHIP NAMED IN BOTH FILINGS

The second complaint is being filed on behalf of another USMMA student under the name of “Midshipman-Y.” She simultaneously filed a motion under a New York law that provides parties with the right to proceed anonymously where special circumstances concerning the plaintiff’s privacy and the nature of the proceedings outweigh the presumption of openness in court proceedings.

According to the complaint, that will be filed once the motion for anonymity is granted, Midshipman-Y was so severely sexually harassed aboard a Maersk ship (again identified as the Alliance Fairfax), during her Sea Year that she slept clutching a knife for protection.

Sanford Heisler Sharp notes that the USMMA Sea Year Program requires, as a precondition to graduation, that students work on commercial ships for months at a time to gain practical shipboard experience. Maersk and other commercial shipping companies contract with the federal government and receive subsidies in exchange for, among other things, employing students from the USMMA during their Sea Year.

Hicks’ complaint alleges she was the only woman aboard her assigned Maersk vessel during her Sea Year in 2019 and that, while on board, she was raped by one of the ship’s top-ranking officers, a man more than 40 years her senior. According to the complaint, when Hicks confronted the officer, she was told no one would believe her if she made a report. According to the complaint, Hicks suffers from severe and ongoing emotional distress as a result of the traumatic events she experienced on the Maersk vessel.

Midshipman-Y’s complaint alleges that she experienced extreme sexual harassment, unwanted touching and discrimination while on board the same Maersk vessel two years later. According to the complaint, Midshipman-Y was severely sexually harassed by a crewmember who was known to other Maersk officers and crewmembers as being violent. Although crewmembers and officers were allegedly aware of the harassment, no one intervened or reported the misconduct. The complaint further alleges that Midshipman-Y was treated less favorably than male crewmembers on account of her gender.

“Driven to desperation, at the first opportunity, Midshipman-Y begged USMMA representatives to get her off the ship prior to the completion of her required sea time,” says Sanford Heisler Sharp. “As a result of the traumatic experience, Midshipman-Y had to take an academic setback and is unsure if she will ever be emotionally capable of completing the USMMA.”

According to both complaints, Maersk was aware of the prevalence of sexual assault and harassment on its ships. Specifically, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx suspended the Sea Year program in 2016 amid allegations of rampant sexual assaults and harassment of cadets during Sea Year voyages. Once reinstated, regulations required Maersk and other shipping companies participating in the Sea Year program to enact and enforce procedures to protect against sexual assault and harassment of USMMA midshipmen aboard their vessels.

“FORSEEABLE AND PREVENTABLE”

“What happened to Hope and Midshipman-Y was both foreseeable and preventable by Maersk,” said Steven J. Kelly, partner at Sanford Heisler Sharp and counsel for plaintiffs. “Maersk acknowledged that it owes a special duty of care to USMMA cadets, yet even after the Sea Year program was reinstated in 2017, Maersk failed to implement and enforce adequate policies and procedures to protect these young women.”

The complaint alleges that even after the 2016 temporary suspension of the Sea Year program, Maersk was complacent about its sexual assault and harassment prevention duties. According to the complaint, Maersk’s indifference to its duties was evident when one of Hicks’ Maersk supervisors tasked her with logging onto a computer and completing the required sexual assault and harassment training on behalf of a number of other crew members. Following the publication of Midshipman-X’s story, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg again suspended the Sea Year program in November 2021.

“Speaking up against a powerful corporation is intimidating, which is why, up to this point, Hope has declined to reveal her identity, opting instead to go by the moniker Midshipman-X,” said Christine Dunn, partner at Sanford Heisler Sharp and counsel for plaintiffs. “But, today, Hope is publicly identifying herself in an effort to seek justice for the sexual assault and harassment that she, and others – like Midshipman-Y, endured aboard Maersk vessels.”

Ryan Melogy, Founder of Maritime Legal Solutions and co-counsel for plaintiffs, who is himself a USMMA graduate, noted that “For years there have been reports of widespread sexual assault and harassment in the maritime industry, yet nothing has changed. Now real change may finally be on the way thanks to the bravery of survivors like Hope and Midshipman-Y. These courageous young women are standing up, speaking out, and saying “this has got to stop!”

The Coast Guard 14th District held a change of command ceremony at Coast Guard Base Honolulu bidding farewell to Rear Adm. Matthew Sibley and welcoming Rear Adm. Michael Day, Friday.

The ceremony was presided over by Vice Adm. Michael McAllister, commander, U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area.

“It has been an honor to serve alongside the women and men of our service these past few years,” said Rear Adm. Sibley. “Through our interagency partnerships and that of the state of Hawaii, we found a way to continue frontline operations supporting maritime governance and a free and open indo-pacific, all while facing a once-in-a-century pandemic.”

Day, a native of Brockton, Massachusetts, is arriving at the Coast Guard 14th District after serving as the military advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security where he provided counsel to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary regarding policies, plans, and other affairs between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense.

A 1991 graduate of the Coast Guard Officer Candidate School in Yorktown, Day’s prior duty stations include serving in the Strategy and Policy Directorate (J5) for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, commanding officer of the Pacific Strike Team, and commander of Coast Guard Sector New York.

On September 11, 2001, while serving as the Chief of Waterways Oversight in the Port of New York and New Jersey, Day was immediately designated as the Coast Guard on-scene commander for the evacuation of lower Manhattan, coordinating the evacuation of over 500,000 people aboard over 100 civilian vessels resulting in the largest maritime evacuation in history.

Day’s education includes master’s degrees in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and Public Administration from Bridgewater State University. He also completed a one-year fellowship at Harvard University Kennedy School of Government as a National Security Fellow and participated in a one-year Industry Training program with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

“I look forward to reinvigorating our alliances with like-minded Pacific Island Countries and Territories throughout Oceania,” said Rear Adm. Day. “The Coast Guard will continue to exercise our unique authorities through persistent presence and cooperation in this region to improve maritime security.”

Sibley, a native of West Islip, New York, is moving on to continue his Coast Guard career as the deputy commander of the United States Coast Guard Pacific Area in Alameda, California.

Sibley held the duties as commander of the Coast Guard 14th district since June 2020. During that time he was responsible for directing Coast Guard operations throughout Oceania, including Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and activities in Singapore and Japan.

Prior to assuming command of the Coast Guard 14th District, Sibley’s career includes nearly 10 years of service afloat, with command tours aboard the Coast Guard Cutters Forward, Thatcher, and Point Monroe. Sibley also served aboard the Coast Guard Cutters Gallatin, Morgenthau and Spencer and is a Permanent Cutterman.

He also served ashore as the command center controller at the Eighth Coast Guard District, senior duty officer in the White House Situation Room, assignment officer at Coast Guard Personnel Command, Coast Guard fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), military assistant to the Secretary of Homeland Security, commander of Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan, deputy director of the Reserve and Military Personnel (CG-13D), executive assistant to the Assistant Commandant for Human Resources (CG-1A) , and deputy commander, Coast Guard Personnel Service Center at Coast Guard Headquarters.

Sibley’s education includes a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and computer science from the United States Coast Guard Academy and a master’s degree in Public Administration from George Mason University.

The 14th District covers more than 12.2 million square miles of land and sea, with units on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, the Big Island, and in American Samoa, Saipan, Guam, Singapore, and Japan. They maintain vital relationships with strategic partners around the Pacific. The district commander oversees operational units ashore and afloat throughout the Pacific, which regularly perform missions in maritime safety, protection of natural resources, maritime security, homeland security, and national defense.

Read more at U.S. Coast Guard

Approximately two (2) months before the end of the Duterte Administration, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) conducts the formal commissioning of its first 97-meter multi-role response vessel (MRRV) into the Coast Guard service – the Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas (BRP) Teresa Magbanua, named after one of the strongest and bravest female warriors in Philippine history.

On behalf of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade leads the commissioning ceremony at Pier 15 within Port Area, City of Manila on May 6, 2022.

Japan Ambassador to the Philippines, His Excellency Kazuhiko Koshikawa and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Chief Representative Takema Sakamoto also grace today’s momentous event.

The BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) has a maximum speed of not less than 24 knots, an endurance of not less than 4,000 nautical miles, and is capable of conducting sustained maritime patrols in the country’s maritime jurisdictions.

It is modeled after the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) Kunigami-class vessels and is expected to improve the PCG’s maritime security and maritime safety operations in the vast exclusive economic zone of the country.

The second 97-meter MRRV that will be commissioned as BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702) is slated to arrive in Manila next month.

The BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) and BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702) are part of the DOTr’s Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project (MSCIP) Phase II to intensify the modernization of the PCG.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte led the commissioning Sunday of the Barko ng Pangulo ng Pilipinas (BRP) Melchora Aquino of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), which is expected to improve its capability to monitor the country’s costlines.

During the commisioning in South Harbor in Manila, President Duterte expressed his gratitude to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for a job well done.

“The Coast Guard has an excellent record and participation even sa struggle sa Mindanao. You have helped government a lot maintaining its independence and integrity as a republic. So bilib ako sa inyo,” he said.

“And I said at no other time na ang Coast Guard binigyan ng importansiya. At I can only thank my classmate, Arthur Tugade, for husbanding the entire agency sa Coast Guard.”

The President read the commission order before the MRRV 9702 commanding officer and granted the official permission, commencing BRP Melchora Aquino’s official duty as a commissioned vessel.

Named after Filipino revolutionary Melchora Aquino, who was considered the Mother of Katipunan, the MRRV 9702 is one of the two largest white ships acquired by the DOTr for the PCG through its Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project (MSCIP) Phase 2.

The newly commissioned vessel will conduct sustained maritime patrols in the country’s maritime jurisdictions, including the West Philippine Sea and Philippine Rise.

The BRP Melchora Aquino is modeled after the Japan Coast Guard’s Kunigami-class vessel that has a maximum speed of not less than 24 nautical miles per hour and endurance of not less than 4,000 nautical miles.

It is similar with BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV 9701), another vessel acquired by the government. PND

Korean Register (KR) has developed a new class notation for the safe marine transportation of electric vehicles, as a result of its collaborative research with leading Korean shipping companies and shipyards.

The new class notation, which is called ‘AFP-C(EV)’, was developed following cooperation with Korean shipyards and a joint research project conducted last year with Hyundai Glovis and G-Marine Service which sought to develop safety measures for vehicle carriers transporting electric vehicles.

With an increasing number of electric vehicles being transported on vehicle carriers and some recent high profile and serious onboard fires, the maritime industry’s interest in fire safety for such voyages has increased dramatically.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and other related organizations have emphasized the need to develop safety regulations for the marine transport of electric vehicles. However, detailed regulations are still in the discussion stage and to date, no realistic guidelines have been issued.

KR’s newly developed ‘AFP-C(EV)’ will be assigned to vehicle carriers that meet specific requirements related to fire detection and fire extinguishing facilities, and the notation will reflect realistic safety requirements.

“Our newly launched class notation will help to improve safety onboard vessels carrying electric vehicles. KR will continue to provide high-quality technical services and contribute to marine safety using the results we have acquired from our collaboration with maritime industry,” said KIM Yeontae, Executive Vice President of KR’s technical division.
Source: Korean Register