Time matters in safety. A false alarm wastes it; a missed one can cost lives. Consilium has a solution that sharpens both ends of that dilemma: it turns video feeds into reliable guidance for faster, sharper decisions.
When a crew member collapses alone in a ship’s engine room, every second counts. Traditional cameras might capture the fall, but someone still must notice it happening on a monitor and respond accordingly.
Consilium´s AI-powered camera server solution eliminates that crucial delay by detecting accidents, missing safety equipment, and early signs of smoke, immediately alerting crew members, giving them context and location to act.
By interpreting what the cameras see and feeding the information directly into Consilium’s Safety Management Interface Graphics (SMiG), crews obtain a clearer picture more quickly and can take the right actions.
According to the International Maritime Organisation, many incidents are traced to delayed emergency responses. This solution represents a shift from passive surveillance to active monitoring in an industry where delayed responses can prove catastrophic.
“Traditional CCTV systems only record,” said Isak Nordberg, Head of Product Line Software Solutions at Consilium. “Our solution adds an entirely new dimension by analysing video feeds in real time and integrating that information with existing safety systems.”
“Think of the safety system as a body,” explains Isak Nordberg. “The cameras become the eyes. SMiG is the brain, interpreting what the eyes see. Doors, alarms, and suppression units are the hands, carrying out the actions.”
The brain already processes signals from fire detectors, gas sensors, temperature monitoring, and oil mist detection. Now, with an AI-powered camera system, it also gets vision. That means the crew no longer relies on human observation alone – they receive clear, verified information to guide their decisions.
In practice, the solution can spot a missing fire extinguisher during routine operations, detect smoke before it triggers traditional fire alarms, or immediately locate a crew member who has fallen and needs assistance. Rather than requiring personnel to inspect safety stations throughout the ship manually, the system identifies problems and directs crew members to specific locations.
“For the crew, it cuts a step. Instead of walking the ship to check every station, they can focus on solving problems the system has already identified,” says Nordberg.
In another example, the system detects a wisp of smoke and then checks it against other sensors in the detection network.
“If the sensors agree, the alarm goes forward. If not, the signal is muted, and the crew is spared a false alarm”, Nordberg explains.
Or if someone in the crew passes through an area without a helmet, the lapse is logged anonymously. Over time, those records turn into patterns: how often lapses occur, where they happen, and what measures might reduce them.”
“The idea is not to point out that someone forgot a helmet,” Nordberg explains. “Instead, our solution gathers statistics to act upon”.
During evacuations, the safety system can track the flow of people and alert the crew if a stairwell becomes blocked, allowing passengers to be redirected before it becomes hazardous.
“In such moments, it might deliver many signals at once, but the aim is to turn that flood of information into clear guidance,” he states.
“It can also support maintenance. It might flag that it’s time to service something, having detected a condition that signals action before it becomes a bigger issue.”
Nordberg stresses that smart cameras are not a replacement for established detection systems but a complement. “There are other AI-powered cameras, but our strength is that it is tied directly into SMiG, which creates a dynamic layer of intelligence and provides correct information for the crew to act upon”.
This integration also creates what Consilium calls a “learning loop.” For example, when a gas sensor spikes, cameras in the same area are automatically activated. If a person is detected, an immediate warning is issued. Step by step, data from sensors and cameras reinforce each other, forming a stronger, more reliable safety net.
Consilium’s smart camera integration has been tested in office environments and at sea. And the marine focus is clear: RORO, ROPAX, and Cruise vessels, where both safety and passenger flow are critical.
But it has potential beyond marine safety. Parking garages face growing risks from EV fires. Offshore wind farms stand unmanned for long stretches yet require instant alerts in case of incidents. In both cases, smart camera monitoring can provide the same level of reliable, real-time support.
Ultimately, the solution is designed to reinforce the crew’s judgment. “Our Early Detection system is already among the most advanced in the industry,” Nordberg concludes. “This solution is here to strengthen it”.
How it works:
Consilium’s AI-powered software adds intelligence to cameras, turning video streams into an active safety layer.
- Analysis: Live camera feeds are analysed in real time, trained to spot anomalies such as smoke, missing equipment, or a fallen crew member.
- Detection: The system flags critical events instantly, reducing the risk of delay.
- Integration: Detected events feed into SMiG, Consilium’s safety platform, where data from all sensors converge.
- Verification: SMiG cross-checks the video alert against fire, gas, temperature, and oil mist sensors before sending a verified warning to the crew.
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