Marine

Pilot Safety must be first priority

C3D offers increased security for the members of the American Pilots Association, when maritime pilots maneuver to board and pilot shipping. The C3D capability significantly improves the pilots vision in degraded environments particularly night operations, where boarding ships is extremely dangerous. In addition, the C3D solution will aid the recovery of personnel in-the-water.

Portable DVE Barge Tow Configuration

Convergent3D provides a solution to enable the tow boat’s pilot to more safely navigate in reduced visibility. A portable IR or thermal image camera is temporarily mounted on the lead barge and powered using the portable power from the barge’s running lights. The 3D image provides depth perception so the pilot can better maneuver the tow through entrance of the lock. In addition, the video information can be transmitted to remote users (e.g. lock master) via the internet for viewing and docking coordination.

The US Inland Waterway System has over 150 locks and is the largest natural waterway of its kind in the world. Towing barges in these rivers is very challenging. Unpredictable currents, shoals, and weather conditions make the maneuvering of tows over 20 barges difficult. In addition, small tows encounter problems when entering locks due to cross currents at the entrance of the locks.

Numerous accidents are documented in which tows miss lock entrances, causing damage to locks and tows due to low visibility. The accidents cause economic loss due to delays in movement of river traffic, as a result of lock closures requiring repair.