About
Sea.AI is a machine vision safety platform built specifically for maritime use. It fuses advanced thermal and optical camera hardware with proprietary artificial intelligence to detect, classify, and continuously track objects on the water's surface — including threats that radar and AIS cannot see, such as unlit craft, floating containers, buoys, inflatables, kayaks, and persons overboard. The system's AI engine performs multi-object tracking, maintaining awareness of every contact in the scene simultaneously — knowing not just what an object is, but where it came from and where it is heading. This provides operational intelligence rather than a simple point-in-time snapshot. Sea.AI offers several hardware products to cover diverse needs: the Watchkeeper (ultra-wide field of view for recreational and offshore sailing), the Sentry (for commercial vessels and motoryachts), the Brain (an AI module that brings intelligence to existing thermal cameras), and the Competition (designed for ocean racing yachts with rotating masts). A software subscription layer delivers ongoing updates and cloud features. Key markets include recreational sailing, motorboats, search and rescue, commercial maritime, government maritime surveillance, and autonomous unmanned surface vehicles (USVs). USV operators benefit from extended range and safer autonomous missions as Sea.AI serves as the vessel's primary vision system. The platform is endorsed by leading marine brands and is expanding rapidly across North America and Europe.
Key Features
- AI Object Detection Beyond Radar & AIS: Detects and classifies objects that conventional systems miss — including unlit craft, floating debris, buoys, inflatables, kayaks, and persons overboard — using thermal and optical cameras paired with a trained AI engine.
- Multi-Object Tracking: Simultaneously tracks every contact in the scene, providing not just what the object is, but its trajectory, origin, and projected path — turning raw detections into actionable operational intelligence.
- Day & Night Operation: Thermal camera integration ensures reliable detection in complete darkness, fog, and low-visibility conditions where optical cameras and the human eye are insufficient.
- Modular Hardware Ecosystem: Multiple purpose-built hardware products — Watchkeeper, Sentry, Brain, and Competition — allow the system to be configured for recreational sailing, commercial vessels, government use, or integration with existing thermal cameras.
- USV & Autonomous Operations Support: Acts as the primary vision system for unmanned surface vehicles, enabling safer autonomous missions, extended operational range, and detection of hazards without a crew on board.
Use Cases
- Recreational and offshore sailors using Sea.AI as a watchkeeper to detect collision hazards and persons overboard during passages, especially at night or in poor visibility.
- Search and rescue teams deploying Sea.AI to rapidly locate persons in the water or floating debris during active rescue operations.
- Commercial maritime operators fitting Sea.AI on cargo vessels, ferries, or patrol boats to meet safety requirements and supplement radar with AI-based object detection.
- Government and military agencies using the Sentry system for coastal surveillance, border monitoring, and maritime domain awareness.
- USV developers and operators integrating Sea.AI as the primary perception system to enable safe, autonomous unmanned surface vehicle missions across open water.
Pros
- Detects Hazards Invisible to Radar & AIS: Identifies unlit vessels, floating obstacles, and persons overboard that conventional marine electronics routinely miss, providing a genuinely complementary safety layer.
- Versatile Across Maritime Segments: Product lineup and software cover a wide range — from offshore racing yachts and recreational sailboats to commercial ships, SAR vessels, government craft, and fully autonomous USVs.
- Reliable Around the Clock: Thermal camera support ensures the system performs in darkness, heavy rain, and poor visibility conditions where human watchkeeping is most fallible.
- Continuous Intelligence via Multi-Object Tracking: Goes beyond simple alerts by tracking each contact's history and predicted path simultaneously, giving crews actionable situational awareness rather than raw alarm data.
Cons
- Requires Dedicated Hardware Installation: Sea.AI is not a pure software solution — it requires purchasing and installing purpose-built camera hardware on a vessel, which involves upfront cost and installation effort.
- Pricing Not Publicly Transparent: Hardware costs and software subscription pricing are not listed on the website; prospective customers must request a quote, making budget planning less straightforward.
- Maritime-Only Use Case: The platform is purpose-built for water-based detection scenarios and is not applicable outside the maritime domain.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of objects can Sea.AI detect?
Sea.AI detects and classifies a wide range of surface objects including unlit or unsignalled vessels, floating debris, shipping containers, buoys, inflatables, kayaks, and persons overboard — including objects that radar and AIS cannot see.
How is Sea.AI different from radar or AIS?
Radar and AIS are effective for large or electronically equipped vessels but miss small, unlit, or non-electronic objects. Sea.AI uses computer vision and AI on thermal and optical camera feeds to fill this gap, detecting things like floating containers, kayaks, or a person in the water.
Which Sea.AI product is right for my vessel?
Sea.AI offers four hardware products: Watchkeeper (wide field of view for recreational and offshore sailing), Sentry (commercial vessels and motoryachts), Brain (adds AI to existing thermal cameras), and Competition (designed for racing yachts with rotating masts). Contact Sea.AI or a dealer for a recommendation based on your vessel type.
Does Sea.AI work at night?
Yes. Sea.AI integrates thermal cameras that detect heat signatures independent of visible light, enabling reliable object detection in complete darkness, fog, and other low-visibility conditions.
Can Sea.AI be used on unmanned surface vehicles (USVs)?
Yes. Sea.AI is specifically designed to support USV operations, acting as the vessel's primary vision system to detect hazards — including floating debris, unlit vessels, and persons in the water — during autonomous missions without a crew on board.
