Texas A&M University’s “Smart-Sea” system takes into account all ship movements

Researchers at Texas A&M University (https://www.tamu.edu/index.html ) have developed “Smart-Sea,” an artificial intelligence (AI)-based system for accident-free navigation on the high seas. The device takes into account all movements within a large radius, enabling helmsmen to react early enough to initiate evasive and braking maneuvers in time and prevent collisions. The resulting ship movements are immediately incorporated into the calculations, according to the university.

Computer-generated orders

Specifically, raw data from radar images is combined with machine learning. This results in real-time instructions for optimal navigation. “Many of these collisions are caused by human error. We hope to reduce collisions at sea through computer-generated instructions in real time,” says researcher Mirjam Fürth. The ship’s maneuverability is determined using a multi-stage model (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0957582025009553).

This takes into account the experience of sailors, computer models of flow dynamics, and machine learning based on previous ship movements. The raw radar images are processed using a machine learning tool that identifies and classifies stationary objects in the vicinity of the ship. It then takes into account the maneuverability of all ships in the area to recommend the safest course of action for each ship.

Useful for recreational boats

Fürth and her team, including former sailor Ryan Vechan, now a professor of maritime logistics at the university, tested Smart-Sea (https://stories.tamu.edu/news/2025/12/29/smart-sea-system-guides-seafarers-away-from-collisions/) aboard the university’s research vessel, the Trident. Initial data confirms that the prototype can help reduce ship collisions. Fürth believes that the system is even suitable for recreational boats due to its low cost.