MARSS announced today via Seatrade Cruse News that it secured a contract for the installation of MOBtronic, its advanced man overboard detection and tracking system onboard a new cruise ship due for operation later this year.

“The contract includes the installation of a network of MOBtronic marinised pods that are strategically positioned to cover the volume around the entire vessel, creating a virtual shield which automatically detects and classifies a man-overboard event.

The system features a patented configuration of sensors that reliably detect a fall and notify crew when a man overboard event occurs. Using a combination of multi-sensor data and MARSS proprietary software, MOBtronic provides alerts, live tracking and video playback via an intuitive user interface to aid crew in managing SAR operations and to analyse a MOB incident.

MOBtronic is unique with its exceptionally low false positive rate (less than 1 per day) often caused by birds, breaking waves and other objects, significantly reduces false alarms and ensures a >95% detection rate.

MOBtronic complies with the current recommendations of the ISO PAS draft with a proven probability of detection in excess of 95 and false alarm rates of less than 0.3 a day.”

Thee company’s online materials explain that MOBtronic utilises the same multi-sensor approach to automatically detect and alert operators to people climing or otherside ascending the side of a vessel in order to detect intruders for security purposes.

Missing from the press release is any mention which cruise ship the system will be installed on. Most cruise lines keep this type of information secret.

There are many effective MOB systems on the market, but few such systems actually installed on cruise ships to date.

Two years ago, MSC Cruises announced that it installed a state-of-the-art man overboard system on the MSC Meraviglia and was planning to deploy similar systems across its fleet of cruise ships. The company’s announcement cam via Seatrade Cruise News that MSC Cruises developed an “intelligent video capturing and analysis system” in collaboration with security technology experts, Bosch and Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

Most cruise lines and their trade organizations, the Cruise Line International Organizations (CLIA), have unreasonably resisted the move toward this life-saving technology, citing a myriad of excuses (alleging the cost and unreliability of the technology) which are belied by the success of the systems which are available on the market today.

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Image credit: MARSS