Provided is a mobile object including: a mobile object information transmitting unit configured to transmit, to another mobile object by optical wireless communication by a first optical wireless communication unit, first mobile object information including first inertial measurement information and first body control information; a mobile object information receiving unit configured to receive, from the another mobile object by optical wireless communication by the first optical wireless communication unit, second mobile object information including second inertial measurement information and second body control information; and an optical axis direction control unit configured to control a direction of an optical axis of the first optical wireless communication unit on a basis of the first mobile object information and the second mobile object information.

Artificial intelligence can be used to provide accurate realignment functionality for various different marine devices on a watercraft. A system is provided for aligning one or more marine devices, where one or more controllers are configured to receive marine data from the marine device and receive secondary data from one or more second devices. An expected alignment characteristic is determined based on the secondary data and a corresponding deviation therefrom is determined based on marine data. In response to determining the deviation, the controllers are configured to cause at least one of a notification indicating a misalignment of the marine device to be provided to a user, a data adjustment to marine data so as to produce recalibrated marine data, or a physical adjustment to be applied to the marine device so as to subsequently receive realigned marine data from the marine device.

A system for controlling a marine vessel has a sonar depth finder which displays a chart, stored in memory, for a body of water. The chart includes an underwater feature contour that defines a boundary of an underwater feature. The sonar depth finder includes a processor to create or update the topographical chart based on sonar data from a sonar transducer assembly. The sonar data includes information on the underwater feature. The processor can display and store the topographical chart. The user may select from the underwater feature contours on the depth finder display. The depth finder can generate a route for the marine vessel that includes a path along the selected underwater feature contours. A vessel control device, in communication with the depth finder, may receive transmissions, from the depth finder, which include the generated route. The vessel control device can automatically direct the marine vessel along the route.

The trolling motor for an overboard person comprises a trolling motor and a wrist worn device. The trolling motor may be a battery-operated propulsion device that is operable to propel and steer a water craft. The wrist worn device may be worn by a person on the water craft. A control unit within the trolling motor may communicate wirelessly with the wrist worn device and may be cognizant of a relative position of the wrist worn device with respect to the water craft. If the person falls overboard, a separation distance between the wrist worn device and the control unit may increase. Upon a determination that the separation distance has exceeded a predetermined distance threshold, the control unit may direct the trolling motor to energize, deenergize, or reverse direction such that the trolling motor may move the water craft closer to the person.

A smartphone marine vessel location system utilizes global positioning to determine the location and trajectory of marine vessels. When two marine vessels have a trajectory that will bring the vessels within a warning zone a trajectory alert is activated and when the two vessels enter into a warning zone, a collision warning is activated. An App on the smartphones may produce a display showing the location of the marine vessels and may produce the alerts when required. The smartphone may also communicate with other navigational system on the marine vessel to produce a display and alerts, such as through Bluetooth. The location of marine vessels may be acquired through the App, through a crowd-sourcing application, and/or through a carrier sourced location.

A method for maintaining a marine vessel propelled by a marine propulsion device in a selected position includes determining a current global position of the marine vessel and receiving a signal command to maintain the current global position. The current global position is stored as a target global position in response to receiving the signal command. A subsequent global position of the marine vessel is determined and a position error difference between the subsequent global position and the target global position is determined. The method includes determining marine vessel movements required to minimize the position error difference, and causing the marine propulsion device to produce a thrust having a magnitude, a direction, and an angle calculated to result in achievement of the required marine vessel movements. At least one of timing and frequency of discontinuity of thrust production is controlled while the position error difference is minimized.

The present disclosure provides a ship monitoring system capable of appropriately evaluating risks of collisions for a plurality of other ships which constitute a convoy. The ship monitoring system includes a first data generator, a second data generator, and processing circuitry. The first data generator generates first ship data indicative of a position and a velocity of a first ship. The second data generator generates a plurality of second ship data indicative of positions and velocities of a plurality of second ships. The processing circuitry calculates a risk value indicative of a risk of a collision between the first ship and each of the plurality of second ships based on the first ship data and the plurality of second ship data. The processing circuitry determines whether the plurality of second ships are a convoy based on the plurality of second ship data. The processing circuitry selects a representative value from the risk values calculated for the plurality of second ships determined to be the convoy.

The present disclosure provides a marine vessel location awareness device and method of using the device. The marine vessel location awareness device can include electronic components such as a sensor system, a global positioning system (GPS), a tidal gauge device, an alert system, and a microcontroller. The draft sensor can be configured to measure draft data of the marine vessel. The GPS can be configured to measure the position of the marine vessel. The tidal gauge device can be configured to measure a water level of a water body the marine vessel is traveling relative to a vertical datum. The alert system can be configured to alert the marine vessel to enter an active state when the water condition transmitted to the alert system is the unsafe water condition, when the alert system is in the active state, an alert is activated.

This disclosure relates to an environmental compliance system installed onboard a ship. The environmental compliance system includes a computing device that records and requests authorization for overboard discharge when discharge occurs within a defined geofence. The system receives data from the ship automation system including ship location and operational valve opening commands made to discharge effluent overboard and into the surrounding water. Before the operational valve opening command can be received by the valve, the compliance box confirms ship position and compares against programmed no-discharge geofence or a plurality of geofences. When the ship is inside a no-discharge geofence, the computing device may request a manual override authorization from the responsible duty holder before completing the command so as to prevent an accidental unintended discharge. Data is securely stored by the compliance box and may also be transmitted to external cloud-based data receivers.

A system for collection of rainwater in the open ocean may include: (a) one or more ocean-going vessels, wherein each ocean-going vessel is configured for collection and storage of rainwater, wherein each ocean-going vessel is configured to drift with surface ocean currents in order to navigate to one or more delivery locations, wherein each delivery location is on or near to a land mass; and (b) one or more delivery stations located at the one or more delivery locations, wherein each delivery station is configured to receive stored rainwater from one or more of the ocean-going vessels.