Autonomous navigation: Enhancing collision avoidance and safety at sea

During the 17th SAFETY4SEA Athens Forum, Ioannis Papaefthymiou, Managing Director at Anschuetz Panama, highlighted the role of COLREG-compliant collision and grounding avoidance technology in enhancing navigational safety and supporting decision-making onboard.

Drawing on a practical example, he explained how integrated navigation systems can help reduce crew workload and fatigue while improving situational awareness through sensor fusion, optical and infrared cameras.

The maritime industry is facing several interconnected challenges, including a growing shortage of qualified officers, persistent human-factor risks and increasing operational pressure. At the same time, technological developments and the evolving regulatory framework for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) are creating new opportunities to improve navigational safety.

I believe that autonomous navigation technologies can play an important role in addressing these challenges. However, the objective should not simply be to introduce more automation onboard. It should be to support the people responsible for navigation, helping them make better-informed decisions and reduce the likelihood of accidents.

Humans make decisions both onboard and ashore, and mistakes are inevitable. Our responsibility is to provide the tools, information and support needed to minimise those mistakes and improve safety outcomes.

Maritime autonomy: From concept to practical application

The development of maritime autonomy is gaining momentum as shipping seeks solutions to existing operational challenges.

One of the most significant concerns is the availability of qualified seafarers, particularly officers. Combined with the continued occurrence of maritime accidents involving human error, this highlights the need for technologies that can support bridge teams in increasingly complex operating environments.

The IMO’s evolving MASS regulatory framework also provides a foundation for integrating autonomous and remotely operated functions into navigation.

The MASS Code identifies four navigation sub-functions that may be autonomous or remotely operated, depending on a vessel’s concept of operations: voyage planning, situational awareness, collision and grounding avoidance, and route execution and monitoring.

I would particularly like to focus on situational awareness and collision and grounding avoidance, as these functions demonstrate how elements of autonomous navigation can already support bridge operations.

Rather than viewing autonomy solely as a future concept involving fully autonomous vessels, we can examine how specific capabilities may be integrated into existing ships to assist navigators.

Improving collision and grounding avoidance

Effective navigation depends on the ability to collect, interpret and act upon information from multiple sources.

Modern vessels already use radar, Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), gyrocompasses, GPS and electronic nautical charts. However, the challenge is not simply the availability of information. It is how that information can be combined and presented to support timely decisions.

An approach demonstrated through the Autonomics Collision and Grounding Avoidance (CGA) system integrates information from existing navigation sensors with additional optical and infrared cameras.

Through sensor fusion, these different inputs are processed together to identify potential hazards, assess developing situations and calculate appropriate avoidance manoeuvres.

The objective is to provide decision support that takes account of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs), electronic navigational chart information and the vessel’s safety parameters.

This is particularly relevant in situations where several targets must be monitored simultaneously or where navigators need to assess collision risks under time pressure.

By bringing this information together, the system aims to help the officer of the watch understand the situation and consider suitable manoeuvring options before a risk develops into an emergency.

Supporting the Officer Of the Watch

A fundamental principle in this approach is that technology should support human decision-making.

During the presentation, I demonstrated a collision avoidance scenario involving a vessel approaching another ship on a potential collision course.

The system identified the developing threat, assessed the situation and calculated an avoidance manoeuvre.

The proposed action was then presented to the officer of the watch for acknowledgement. Once approved, the manoeuvre could be executed through integration with the autopilot, after which the vessel returned to its pre-planned course.

This example illustrates how automation can assist with both the calculation and execution of navigational decisions.

The system is designed to provide manoeuvring recommendations at an early stage, allowing the navigator time to assess the proposed action rather than respond only when the collision risk becomes imminent.

The central objective is to support timely, informed decision-making while keeping the officer of the watch involved in the process.

The integration of automated manoeuvring also has implications for workload and fatigue. In certain situations, a manoeuvre may require 30 to 60 minutes of execution, during which the officer would otherwise need to remain actively involved in steering and monitoring.

Automating the execution of an approved manoeuvre can help reduce this workload, allowing the navigator to concentrate on maintaining overall situational awareness.

Enhancing situational awareness through sensor fusion

Another important aspect of autonomous navigation is the ability to improve the information available to bridge teams.

Traditional navigation systems already provide extensive data, but additional sensing capabilities can strengthen target detection and monitoring.

In the example presented, optical and infrared cameras are integrated with radar, AIS and other navigation inputs.

Two camera units, typically positioned on the port and starboard sides, provide supplementary visual information. The system combines daylight and infrared sensing with machine vision capabilities to support target detection, acquisition and classification.

The configuration presented provides continuous daylight coverage of approximately 240 degrees and infrared coverage of 48 degrees, supplementing conventional bridge sensors.

This additional information can be particularly valuable when visibility is reduced or when navigators must interpret complex traffic situations.

By continuously monitoring available data, the system can help identify developing risks and provide manoeuvring recommendations based on COLREG requirements and the vessel’s navigational safety parameters.

The integration of electronic nautical chart information also supports grounding avoidance by taking account of relevant safety contours.

I believe that the value of sensor fusion lies in turning multiple sources of information into a clearer understanding of the navigational situation, rather than simply increasing the amount of data displayed on the bridge.

Reducing workload and human error

Human error remains a significant concern in maritime navigation, even as vessels become equipped with increasingly sophisticated technology.

One challenge is the amount of information that officers must continuously process while maintaining a safe navigational watch.

Complex calculations, target prioritisation and manoeuvring decisions require attention, particularly in high-pressure situations.

Automated decision-support functions can assist by continuously analysing information and presenting possible actions in a structured manner.

For example, an avoidance recommendation may be generated well before the predicted point of collision, giving the officer sufficient time to evaluate the situation and acknowledge the proposed manoeuvre.

When combined with autopilot integration, this approach can also reduce the need for prolonged manual intervention.

Importantly, these capabilities are not limited to newly constructed autonomous vessels. The presentation demonstrated how collision and grounding avoidance assistance can be developed as a standalone, refittable capability for existing bridges.

This offers a practical perspective on how elements of maritime autonomy may be introduced progressively, without requiring a complete transformation of shipboard navigation systems.

Taking the next step towards safer navigation

The future of maritime autonomy should be considered in the context of the challenges the shipping industry faces today.

The shortage of qualified officers, operational pressures and the continued risk of human error reinforce the importance of improving the tools available to seafarers.

Technologies that combine sensor information, continuous risk assessment, COLREG-based manoeuvring recommendations and automated execution of approved actions represent one possible step towards more advanced navigation.

However, their value should be assessed primarily through their contribution to safer operations, improved situational awareness and better support for bridge teams.

source : safety4sea