Navigation News

Orca AI has launched the next generation of its AI-based operational platform, delivering a 360° field of view (FOV) around a vessel as a foundation for advanced collision avoidance and autonomous navigation.The 360° FOV configuration is enabled by three SeaPod lookout units, each equipped with high-sensitivity RGB and thermal cameras. Working in unison, they deliver continuous full-perimeter coverage and unified situational awareness around the vessel, enabling detection of overtaking vessels and piracy threats…

Anschütz has successfully delivered and commissioned its SYNAPSIS Integrated Navigation System (INS) on the first newbuild tanker constructed for German Tanker Shipping GmbH & Co.KG at Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd (XSI).TMS Seadevil, handed over in January, is the lead vessel in a program of six modern 41,000 dwt oil and chemical tankers for global deployment and demanding commercial operations. The tankers are designed to support safe navigation in restricted waters, precise maneuvering in ports and terminals and reliable global operations under varying environmental conditions.

NOAA has installed a Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®) in Boston Harbor. The system includes observational equipment at MassPort’s Conley Terminal and on the Tobin Memorial Bridge.The Boston Harbor PORTS, established in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, is the 41st installation in a broad, public-private partnership program, providing commercial and other vessel operators with accurate and reliable real-time information about…

Government officials and maritime experts from Asian coastal States gathered in Singapore (February 2-6) for the first IMO workshop on ships’ routing and ship reporting systems. The workshop aimed to assist participants in strengthening regional expertise in navigational safety measures, IMO procedures and the effective implementation of ships’ routing and reporting systems, particularly in coastal States experiencing increasing maritime traffic. Ships’ routing is the practice of following predetermined routes for shipping, designed to organize maritime traffic in busy or complex sea areas.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its report into the collision between the bulk carrier Polesie and the general cargo ship Verity that resulted in the sinking of the Verity with five fatalities.The collision occurred on the morning of October 24, 2023, when the Isle of Man registered general cargo carrier Verity collided with the Bahamas registered bulk carrier Polesie in the German Bight traffic separation scheme.The investigation found that both…

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its investigation report into the collision between the crude oil tanker Apache and the stern trawler Serinah (GH 116) in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland on 25 April 2024.At about 1503 on 25 April 2024, the crude oil tanker Apache and the stern trawler Serinah collided in the Firth of Clyde resulting in Serinah sinking rapidly. All three of the fishing vessel’s crew were able to abandon ship to the liferaft and were uninjured.When the collision happened Serinah was fishing a seabed depression in the middle of the Firth of Clyde…

Anschütz has claimed a new benchmark in naval navigation with its SYNAPSIS WECDIS NX, a system with a powerful mix of navigational and tactical functions.SYNAPSIS brings all navigational and tactical information together into one consistent picture so that navigators interact with a single, harmonised platform.One of the key capabilities of SYNAPSIS WECDIS NX is its robust GNSS interference handling. This is something that Anschütz pioneered with the development of the gyrocompass by Hermann Anschütz-Kaempfe…

Silicon Sensing Systems Ltd has extended its distribution agreement with Althen Sensors and Controls Inc. in response to a surge in demand, particularly across North America.The new agreement enhances Silicon Sensing’s global distribution network, which stretches across 15 countries. It will help improve customer access to the company’s gyroscopes, accelerometers, and inertial measurement systems and to product integration services. Silicon Sensing’s inertial products are in use in many of the most extreme environments…

A comprehensive suite of Furuno navigation and communication systems have been installed aboard Federal Hill, a new Baltimore Class high-speed pilot boat recently delivered to the Association of Maryland Pilots by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding.Designed for demanding harbor pilotage in all seasons, Federal Hill relies on Furuno’s NavNet TZtouchXL Multi Function Displays (MFDs) to support safe, efficient operations in congested waterways and challenging conditions. The wheelhouse features dual 16" TZT16X MFDs with a networked DRS6ANXT Solid-State Doppler Radar…

Anschütz completed refit of Integrated Navigation System for RRS Sir David AttenboroughSince entering service in 2021, the polar research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough has been equipped with navigation systems from Anschütz. As part of a recent refit, Anschütz has now supplied the vessel with a new, state-of-the-art SYNAPSIS NX Integrated Navigation System (INS), along with upgrades to the radar systems. The new technology enhances the stability and performance of the bridge system…

SevenCs GmbH, a provider of maritime charting solutions, announced the release of Nautilus ChartServer, its chart rendering engine designed to meet the evolving demands of maritime, defense, and autonomous navigation applications.Building on the WMS ChartServer, Nautilus ChartServer introduces a modern, scalable architecture that is fully S-100-ready, supporting current standards such as S-57, S-101 ENC, IENC, AML, and future S-102 bathymetric surfaces, while paving the way for future S-100-based products.Benefits of the Nautilus ChartServer include:S-100 Ready: Supports S-57, S-101, IENC, AML

Orca AI has signed a multi-year agreement with Gram Car Carriers (GCC), the world’s third-largest tonnage provider of Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTCs) and part of the MSC Group, to deploy its AI-powered navigational safety and fleet analytics platform across GCC's global fleet of 22 owned vessels.Building on the success of Orca AI’s existing collaboration with MSC, the partnership marks an expansion of the group’s digital transformation roadmap and reinforces GCC’s commitment to operational safety, compliance and efficiency.

Ineffective coordination and monitoring by the crew and harbour pilots on board the container ship Maersk Shekou contributed to its collision with the tall ship Leeuwin II in the Port of Fremantle, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has found.The 333-metre, Singapore-flagged Maersk Shekou was being navigated into Fremantle under the direction of two harbour pilots in heavy squall conditions before dawn on August 30, 2024, when the incident occurred.Audio from the ship’s bridge…

Ocean engineering researchers at Texas A&M University are developing a smart system to combat collisions between ships and stationary structures such as offshore platforms. By combining raw radar imaging data with advanced machine learning, the researchers have created SMART-SEA, a system that gives seafarers real-time guidance on how and when to maneuver their vessel.SMART-SEA can detect stationary objects in all weather conditions, and seafarers can choose how to receive the data — either visually…

iNav4U, creators of Zora The Operational System for Yachts, has announced a new collaboration with Aqua Map, a  leader in digital marinenavigation. iNav4U is delivering the first fully integrated, end-to-end platform that unifies yacht management, operations, and navigation in one system. By embedding Aqua Map’s advanced marine charts directly into Zora, captains and yacht owners gain real-time situational awareness and advanced vessel management tools, without juggling multiple apps and devices.

Offshore service provider OS Energy has adopted Sonardyne’s SPRINT-Nav DP dynamic positioning (DP) reference system to support its marine renewable energy projects in the North and Baltic Seas. SPRINT-Nav DP will enable OS Energy to maintain DP integrity, even in shallow water and GNSS-compromised environments that are increasingly characteristic of offshore wind construction and maintenance activities. Housed within a single, pre-calibrated unit, the easy to integrate system allows operators ride out GNSS disruption, maintaining safety, accuracy and DP certification.

Maritime technology company Orca AI has launched Co-Captain, a new function in its operational platform that allows vessels can share data with each other, in real time, to be better prepared for real-time events and emerging risks.By connecting a growing network of 1,000 Orca AI-installed vessels, with hundreds more set to join, Co-Captain turns every ship into both a sensor and source of awareness, says the company.Building on Orca AI’s advanced computer-vision technology, Co-Captain fuses these fragmented inputs into a single layer of collective intelligence.

The World Shipping Council (WSC) has released the third edition of the WSC Whale Chart, a global voyage planning aid that maps where slower ship speeds and route changes can help protect whales from ship strikes and reduce underwater noise.The WSC Whale Chart brings together all known mandatory and voluntary ship-strike and underwater noise reduction measures worldwide, including speed restrictions, routing measures and seasonal protection zones. It is the first tool of its kind to make this global information available in a single source…

German navigation systems specialist Anschütz has officially unveiled ‘Anschütz Autonomics’, a new line of solutions aimed at enabling autonomous navigation and mission automation for commercial, defense and security vessels.The launch follows a series of successful demonstrations with partners in Germany and France, as well as trials with the German Navy.The system is built on certified and operationally proven components, providing safe and precise autonomous navigation and…

Harren Group, one of Germany’s ship-owning and maritime logistics specialists, will partner with Orca AI to strengthen navigational safety and operational efficiency for their newbuild heavy-lift vessels (HLVs), multipurpose vessels (MPVs), deck carriers and bulkers.Aligned with Harren Group’s shift toward quantifiable safety outcomes, the collaboration targets a reduction in actual and close encounters and near-misses—one of the company’s top operational KPIs. Orca AI’s operations platform combines the SeaPod digital lookout onboard with the FleetView analytics dashboard ashore…

FarSounder, an innovator in 3D forward looking navigation sonar technology, has announced a new integration with Anschütz GmbH’s (W)ECDIS NX navigation platforms. This collaboration brings FarSounder’s real-time underwater detection and seafloor mapping data directly into the SYNAPSIS interface. Anschütz’s SYNAPSIS interface enables third-party systems to contribute geo-referenced data layers, such as sonar returns, onto the chart display without requiring modification to the system itself.

Anglo-Eastern Ship Management and Orca AI have entered into a strategic partnership that will see Anglo-Eastern support the installation of Orca AI’s pioneering maritime operations platform across its managed fleet. The collaboration marks the first time a major ship management company has formally committed to support the adoption of AI-driven situational awareness capabilities, highlighting growing demand for related technologies in the maritime industry. Under the agreement…

German navigation specialist Anschütz GmbH has founded a new subsidiary in the United States. Based in Bethesda, Maryland, Anschuetz USA Inc. aims to continue the successful tradition of “Anschütz of America” and optimize customer support for sales and service partners, commercial shipowners and shipyards, as well as government entities including the Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, Navy and Army.Anschuetz USA is developing local expertise in navigation and bridge systems for the newbuild and refit market, while also strengthening the infrastructure for after-sales and servicing.