Orca AI Launches 360° Field of View

Orca AI has launched the next generation of its AI-based operational platform, delivering a 360° field of view (FOV) around a vessel as a foundation for advanced collision avoidance and autonomous navigation.

The 360° FOV configuration is enabled by three SeaPod lookout units, each equipped with high-sensitivity RGB and thermal cameras. Working in unison, they deliver continuous full-perimeter coverage and unified situational awareness around the vessel, enabling detection of overtaking vessels and piracy threats, and overcoming line-of-sight constraints caused by cranes, wind rotor sails, and other deck equipment.

Demand for full-surround awareness has increased over the past year, as it enhances what navigators can see and assess on the bridge – especially in dense traffic and in areas where radar can struggle to consistently track contacts, including small, fast-moving craft. The solution has already been delivered to multiple customers with proven sea-time.

Extending situational awareness to a 360° FOV provides continuous visual coverage around the vessel, giving bridge teams a complete operational picture at all times. On vessel types such as heavy-lift carriers, where structural design can restrict visibility, this ensures that no sector is left unobserved.

Small craft, including those involved in piracy activity, often approach from outside the primary forward view. Persistent coverage improves early detection and tracking. Overtaking situations, governed by Rule 13 of the COLREGs, also develop outside the forward sector, and continuous perception supports earlier and clearer navigational decision-making.