A connector includes a male, key-like member that is operably received in a female connector body. The key-like member includes a stem for operative association with a cord or other body and a distal element. The female connector has a body defining a proximal portion for operative association with a cord or other body and a slot extending along a surface of the body to an aperture for receiving a distal element of a first connector element. A first inside channel extends from the slot at a distal end of the connector to a depth from the surface of the slot. A second inside channel extends from the aperture to the first channel. One of the first and second connectors is provided with a sensor. The sensor indicates that the first connector element is located at the distal portion of the inside channel.

This invention refers to an innovative, original and convenient Autonomous System for Rescue operations, which works on the vessel, program controlled by a software and hardware platform rescuing people overboard in an autonomous manner. The System starts operating from the moment the person falls off the deck into the water. From the moment the wrist band on the passenger makes contact with the water, it sends out a radio frequency signal with two orders: to activate an alarm and to notify a robot to start rescue operation, and it brings it to the vessel with no intervention from people, i.e., in an intelligent and autonomous manner.

A detection system for detecting a moving object crossing a border includes a sense device and a positioning device. The sense device is disposed on a moving object and has a first position module. The first position module generates a first position signal based on the sense device. The positioning device is signally connected with the sense device and has a calculating module, a second position module, a detecting module, and a warning module. The positioning device receives the first position signal. The calculating module sets a border. The second position module generates a second position signal based on the positioning device. The detecting module determines if the sense device is out of the border based on the first position signal and the second position signal. The warning module sends out a warning signal.

A distress device of lifejacket includes: a lifejacket main body; a wireless emitter, disposed inside the lifejacket main body and including a circuit board and an antenna, wherein the antenna is electrically connected to the circuit board; and a lithium polymer battery, electrically connected to the circuit board and disposed inside the lifejacket main body. Accordingly, the lithium polymer battery can be adopted to replace a convention lithium battery, so that the distress device of lifejacket can be safety disposed in an aircraft for providing sufficient amount of electricity required by the wireless emitter, thereby allowing the distress device of lifejacket to have an additional function of emitting signals, and the research and rescue team is able to rapidly locate the sufferer, so that the distress device of lifejacket is provided with advantages of increasing operation safety and facilitating the locating procedure for search and rescue.

Provided is a maritime overboard locator system for use in locating and rescuing a person or asset that has fallen overboard into a body of water. The system includes a locator attached to a person or asset that is activated manually or automatically upon immersion in water. The apparatus emits light, sound, radio, or any combination thereof. The locator is detected by one or more detectors onboard a boat, ship, vessel, or structure. The detectors detect a unique signal that is assigned to each person/asset. Once detected, the detector sends an overboard alert and deploys an unmanned aerial or underwater drone. The drone can include an inflatable life preserver or life raft and a tether cord that helps the person to remain afloat until rescue can be accomplished.

A boat, boat systems, and methods to determine when a water-sports participant has fallen. The boat may include an image sensor and an image processor communicatively coupled to the image sensor. The image sensor is configured to capture at least one image of the environment aft of the stern of the boat. The image processor is configured to execute a rider-down analysis that includes analyzing, using an object recognition process executed by the image processor, an image to be analyzed to determine if a water-sports participant has fallen. The boat may include a controller configured to execute a rider-down action when the water-sports participant has fallen. The controller may execute the rider-down action when the image processor determines that the water-sports participant has fallen based upon the rider-down analysis.

A method of verifying a potential detection of a man overboard event recorded as a moving object in a plurality of sequential frames of image data in respect of a duration of a time window comprises receiving (900) ranging track data in respect of the time window. A geometric chord is then identified that intersects a start point and an end point of a path described by a ranging track of the ranging track data. A height of the start point and an angle defined by a convergence of the chord and a vertical are then determined (902, 906). The height and the angle are then compared relative to a boundary line in order to classify (910) the path described by the ranging track in relation to a man overboard event, thereby validating the potential detection.

A detection system for detecting a moving object crossing a border includes a sense device and a positioning device. The sense device is disposed on a moving object and has a first position module. The first position module generates a first position signal based on the sense device. The positioning device is signally connected with the sense device and has a calculating module, a second position module, a detecting module, and a warning module. The positioning device receives the first position signal. The calculating module sets a border. The second position module generates a second position signal based on the positioning device. The detecting module determines if the sense device is out of the border based on the first position signal and the second position signal. The warning module sends out a warning signal.

A method of verifying a triggered alert in a man overboard detection system comprises: receiving (600) a plurality of sequential frames of image data associated with the triggered alert followed by motion compensating (616) difference frames formed by generating differences (608) between successive frames. A summation of the motion compensated difference frames is then generated (618). The summation image is then analysed (630, 632) and the detection associated therewith is classified (634, 636) in response to identification of a cluster of pixels corresponding to a predetermined size range.

A vessel includes an actuator having a function of generating a propulsive force of a vessel and a function of generating a moment of the vessel and a vessel control device that operates the actuator, wherein the vessel control device can perform automatic cruise control and fixed-point holding control of the vessel and includes a fixed-point holding target position setting unit that sets a fixed-point holding target position that is a target position of the vessel where the fixed-point holding control of the vessel is to be performed, and when the vessel control device performs automatic cruise control of the vessel and then performs fixed-point holding control of the vessel, the fixed-point holding target position setting unit sets a position different from an automatic cruise stop position that is a position of the vessel where the automatic cruise control of the vessel is stopped as the fixed-point holding target position.