MOBtronic man overboard technology gains key certification

Written by Nick Blenkey
MARSS team celebrates successful testing of its MOBtronic man overboard detection solution

MARSS team celebrates successful testing of its MOBtronic man overboard detection solution

While there are currently more than 300 cruise ships in operation, only a tiny fraction are equipped with a man overboard detection system. Monaco-headquartered defense technology specialist MARSS is looking to change this with MOBtronic, an automated man-overboard system for the instant detection, classification and rescue support of a human falling overboard a vessel or maritime structure.

MARSS has now completed the second phase of ISO 21195:2020 certification tests on its solution, In 2010, the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act (CVSSA) was signed into U.S. federal law, requiring cruise ships to install systems to detect, or capture images of, man overboard incidents. ISO21195:2020 sets the standards for what detection systems should be designed to achieve and how they should perform.

Specifically, ISO 21195:2020 requires that acceptable man overboard detection systems should have a minimum 95% detection probability and generate no more than one false alarm per day on average. Having completed Phase 1 (a documentation and design test) in early 2023, MARSS has now also completed Phase 2 that involved the testing of a detection sensor.

While Phase 2 requires a minimum of 100 detections with a 95% detection success rate, MARSS MOBtronic completed 120 tests, achieving a 100% detection success rate.

“We are extremely pleased to have passed Phase 2, and now are hopeful of completing Phase 3 before the end of 2023, which will involve the deployment of MOBtronic on a vessel in operation conditions for three months to measure the probability of detection and false alarm rates,” says Mike Collier, product development manager at MARSS. “Having been installed and operational on cruise ships for many years and now exceeded the ISO performance standard in Phase 2, we are confident that MOBtronic will continue to excel in Phase 3.”

MOBtronic installations consist of multiple sensor pods mounted around the vessel, to accurately detect and monitor persons falling overboard. The sensors connect to MARSS’ proprietary NiDAR Core hybrid intelligence platform, which will automatically detect the person falling and raise an alarm with the crew.

“Without man overboard detection systems, it might take a ship’s crew many hours to realize a passenger is missing, at which point they will have to search the ship, and root back through the footage of tens of cameras to try to determine whether an individual has gone overboard,” says Collier. “Even if footage is found, it leaves search and rescue crews with a huge expanse of ocean to scan for signs of the missing person.”

“With MARSS’ MOBtronic system,” says Collier, “crew will be alerted immediately that a person has gone overboard, automatically enabling a rapid response time and dramatically improving the opportunity of a successful rescue.”

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