AI Marine Device Alignment for Accurate Watercraft Sensor Data

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Solution Overview

Problem

Marine devices on watercrafts often experience alignment issues due to improper installation, collisions, wear, and environmental factors, leading to inaccurate data and increased risks during navigation, especially when operators are distracted or unavailable.

Innovation Solution

An AI-powered alignment system that continuously monitors marine device data, determines expected alignment characteristics, and takes corrective actions such as notifications, data adjustments, or physical realignments to ensure accurate data and safe operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the operator frequently monitors marine devices for alignment issues, then the reliability of data can be maintained, but the operator's time and attention are consumed, reducing productivity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata accuracyVSAvoidoperator efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-monitoring and self-correction of alignment issues through automated sensors and AI analysis. The marine electronic device autonomously detects misalignment using onboard sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers) and corrects it through software adjustments, eliminating the need for continuous operator intervention while maintaining data reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors alignment parameters and provides real-time feedback to the operator when misalignment is detected. The AI analysis compares sensor data against expected alignment characteristics and triggers notifications or automatic corrections, creating a closed-loop feedback system that maintains accuracy without requiring constant operator attention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If the operator does not frequently monitor marine devices, then operator productivity is maintained, but alignment issues can increase significantly over time, reducing data reliability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperator efficiencyVSAvoiddata accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs continuous alignment monitoring and correction throughout operation. Sensors continuously measure device orientation and position, the AI continuously analyzes this data against expected alignment characteristics, and corrections are applied continuously or near-continuously, ensuring data reliability is maintained without requiring periodic operator intervention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The marine electronic device autonomously maintains its own alignment through self-monitoring sensors and self-correction algorithms. The system detects misalignment conditions and automatically adjusts its operation or notifies the operator, enabling the device to maintain data accuracy independently of operator attention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If manual alignment checks are performed, then alignment accuracy can be verified, but the complexity of operation increases and time is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment verificationVSAvoidoperational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces manual mechanical alignment checks with automated electronic sensing and AI analysis. Sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers) automatically measure device orientation and position, while AI algorithms analyze the data to determine alignment status, eliminating the need for manual verification procedures and reducing operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The marine electronic device performs self-verification of its alignment status through onboard sensors and AI analysis. The system autonomously monitors its own orientation and position data, compares it against expected alignment characteristics, and determines whether correction is needed, eliminating the need for external manual verification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

4Productivity

If AI-based automatic alignment monitoring is implemented, then operator time is freed for other tasks, but the device complexity and initial cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperator efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses multi-functional sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers) that serve both navigation/positioning functions and alignment monitoring functions. The AI processing unit handles both routine data processing and alignment analysis, reducing the need for dedicated hardware and minimizing system complexity while enabling automatic alignment monitoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The marine electronic device autonomously performs alignment monitoring and correction using its own onboard sensors and processing capabilities. The system self-manages the entire alignment verification process without requiring external monitoring equipment or additional operational complexity, freeing the operator while adding minimal system burden.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4006679A1Watercraft alignment systems, and associated methods
Publication Date: 2022.06.01 NAVICO HLDG
  • EP4006679A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4006679A1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP4006679A1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

Artificial intelligence can be used to provide accurate realignment functionality for various different marine devices on a watercraft. A system is provided for aligning one or more marine devices, where one or more controllers are configured to receive marine data from the marine device and receive secondary data from one or more second devices. An expected alignment characteristic is determined based on the secondary data and a corresponding deviation therefrom is determined based on marine data. In response to determining the deviation, the controllers are configured to cause at least one of a notification indicating a misalignment of the marine device to be provided to a user, a data adjustment to marine data so as to produce recalibrated marine data, or a physical adjustment to be applied to the marine device so as to subsequently receive realigned marine data from the marine device.