Read the first of our new series of Customer Features where we invite experienced maritime professionals to share insights on topics addressing the impact of technology on maritime operations. We kick off with Capt. Ninad Sharad Mhatre, Managing Director (MD) of Zeaborn Ship Management who shared his thoughts on technological advancements and providing practical examples of how Zeaborn is using the ShipIn’s FleetVision platform to enhance performance.
The following interview has been edited for clarity.
Background
Capt. Mhatre has over 40 years of maritime experience, including 20 years as master mariner on bulk carriers, tankers and specialized vessels, including newbuilding supervision and shipboard auditing. He came ashore in 2000, settling in the Lion City and working in various capacities within marine safety and quality, as well as in commercial and operations roles before joining Zeaborn (formally Rickmers) 10 years ago. He has been the MD of Zeaborn Ship Management, Singapore office since 2021 .
What’s your take on the state of the industry and technological advancements?
First off, regulations and compliance are becoming more and more strict, and following recent incidents, we can see that regulators – be it the IMO, EU, port states, flag states or class – have a much keener focus on seaworthiness and safety. Even small lapses are no longer tolerated. Everybody has to improve, which to my mind is very positive, because the safety of people, assets and cargo is paramount.
In addition, everyone wants to avoid downtime and loss of hire due to incidents, machinery failure or disruption to cargo operations, for example. Any emerging technology that mitigates this financial, and indeed reputational, risk while also improving vessel performance is worth exploring. Don’t be tempted to only look at the Capex involved, look at the savings you can get by reducing downtime!
What impact can technology have on safety compliance?
Speaking as a ship manager, naturally we want to increase our own vessel overview in terms of safety. COVID was a turning point as we couldn’t physically visit vessels and we realized we needed a reliable visual tool to see – literally – what is happening onboard, in multiple locations across many ships.
We explored several CCTV systems, but all were passive (it isn’t humanly possible to monitor feeds 24/7 to spot events or anomalies). When we came across ShipIn we realized the introduction of AI makes CCTV much more meaningful. Machine learning trains the cameras to sift through all the data, spot anomalies and emit alerts so that they can be mitigated in a timely fashion. This saves time and promotes focused decision making. Event logs can show benign activities such as routine maintenance, but can also capture serious equipment failure, a near miss or an actual accident. It’s no longer guesswork, you can clearly see what happened, and how and where the problem started. Camera placement is, of course, crucial.
People know it’s impossible to spot every instance of unsafe behavior using passive CCTV. But active monitoring using AI can encourage the change of behavior, in the same ways cameras in malls reduce shoplifting. We have certainly seen an improvement in safety compliance since we started using this technology.
Here are a few practical examples:
- We can see exactly when people are using PPE – for example, wearing helmets (or not) in areas that require them. If you bring this to their attention, they will start using the helmets every time, reducing the potential for head injuries. This goes for all other personal protective equipment onboard.
- In terms of regulations, the ISM code has generated something of a checklist culture. People tick things off with no proof they were done. FleetVision shows very clearly whether safety rounds and/or maintenance have been carried out, providing objective proof of compliance with the ship’s safety management system.
- Sometimes things fail even if the crew do everything right. But at least we know the maintenance was done and in the correct way. In addition, the shore office can remotely monitor maintenance of critical equipment in real time and can advise or intervene as necessary.
- On the bridge, the cameras help to show whether effective watch is being kept, and whether the watchkeepers are present on the bridge. In the unlikely event of an accident or near miss, for insurance purposes we have proof of compliance, while also protecting the crew’s rights.
- In cargo operations, if cargo gear breaks down and work stops, stevedores often blame the crew for not doing required maintenance. But if the gear broke because of rough handling by the stevedores, who are the responsibility of the charterer, the camera will show it wasn’t the fault of the crew. This avoids downtime loss because it’s clear who was culpable. We can also stop operations if the stevedores misuse the cargo gear, further protecting the vessel equipment as well as the interests of the crew.
- A lot of water shipping on deck during heavy weather can result in damage to the vessel as well as cargo. Apart from being recorded in the ship’s log, the FleetVision system provides concrete proof of the severity of the weather. If an accident were to occur, an insurer may suggest the crew failed to perform some safety procedure or whatever. But the cameras will show that they were following procedure, but it was the sea conditions that caused the injury or damage to the cargo or vessel.
- We use the system actively to gauge the weather, and sometimes we will slow down to reduce the bow slamming into waves. In the past a charterer may have questioned this decision, because it can extend the voyage time and affect estimated time of arrival (ETA) in port. No one has asked this question since we installed cameras; we have the video as evidence. Plus the crew can easily alert the office to bad weather by saying, see for yourself!
- When a Master is on the bridge, sometimes he won’t be able to physically see a mooring station. But the cameras can and if the Master, using the FleetVision dashboard, sees some unsafe practice on the part of the crew or OOW, he can correct them in real time, or later – using the system for training in this way helps avoid injuries both to crew and quay personnel.
- The system is also beneficial for security in difficult ports. There are two cameras placed on the gangway, (ISPS station) and should the watchman on duty need to take a quick break, the cameras can substitute for monitoring, and immediately spot any attempt at unauthorized entry.
What do you see as the main challenge with implementing AI-powered CCTV technology?
While this tech will become increasingly common, it’s not yet that widespread – therefore one can encounter pushback. People typically only accept things when they feel ownership, and the challenge is to change their mindset. Change can be viewed as positive or as additional work by, for example, IT departments who feel that it’s just yet another onboard system to keep track of. They might argue it’s not necessary and will stretch bandwidth capacity. In ShipIn’s case, the technology compresses the audio/video data so much that it doesn’t use that much bandwidth or data – also there is no additional burden on IT support staff.
When we first adopted the system, some superintendents were concerned they’d personally have to study a CCTV feed for hours on end. When they saw how the AI overlay captures all significant events, like an invisible secretary summarizing the entire feed, their fears were allayed. We also demonstrated how to retrieve clips of minor incidents to see exactly what happened, all while sitting in the office thousands of miles away.
And in terms of people who initially don’t like the idea of being watched, after a while they forget about the cameras. Do you notice the cameras in a shopping mall? No, because you’re not doing anything wrong! You just go about your business.
There’s the famous saying, ‘If you think safety is expensive, try an accident!’ Accidents are much, much more expensive. So, when we present the business case, the safety angle usually convinces people that the benefits outweigh their concerns. Moreover, if we run a safety campaign on a ship and ShipIn’s FleetVision monthly reports show a fall in the number of incidents, we know it’s been effective in changing behavior as well. We use instances of unsafe practice for onboard training and at crew conferences, to share those learnings across the fleet, and a wider section of crew.
There may also be pushback from shipowners who fret about the additional cost. But again, we explain how the system helps to reduce downtime by acting as an early warning system to spot, for example, a fire when it is just at the smoke stage, or a major leak when it’s still just a spray. This early intervention capability means you can take timely action to remedy the issue. The value of that timely action can’t be measured because you prevented an escalation to a serious incident. Insurers, however, see the benefit in terms of loss prevention initiatives. This is why many insurers endorse such systems.
How will AI and automation transform maritime operations and the role of human workers?
Today the ShipIn’s FleetVision platform measures a finite amount of visual data but in the future such systems will also be able to harvest sensor data like temperature, vibration etc. For example, thermal cameras on a container ship or car carrier could identify hotspots to give an early warning of potential outbreak of fire. Even watchkeeping is now being automated using AI-enabled computer vision to support navigational decision making.
Unmanned vessels are a possibility, but not for a while. We will need a lot more sensors and automation. And while the nature of maritime jobs will change, we will still need skilled people on shore to monitor these systems or carry out complex maintenance that machines can’t yet do (unless we have humanoid robots by then). The main benefits will be safety – of people, vessel and the cargo – and, obviously, operational efficiency.
