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VISION ENHANCEMENT
"Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright In the Forest of the Night"
SOCP sponsored a project to test and evaluate a potentially new vision enhancement system, called Micro-FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) Thermal Navigation System (TNS).
The evaluation of the system has determined that the product is especially helpful in situations with reduced visibility, such as fog and can greatly enhance navigation on board a ship by improving bridge watchstander's recognition of objects ahead.
Northrop Grumann conducted the initial SOCP sponsored FLIR test on the Sea-Land Kodiak sailing between Seattle and Anchorage during September 9-13, 1994. A thermal imaging camera was mounted aboard the vessel and its ability to recognize objects ahead during all types of weather conditions was recorded and analyzed.
The FLIR enhanced vision during dense fog, provided good visibility in rain and clarity equivalent to day time vision at night. The system permitted reasonably good vision to a distance of 12 miles and clear images up to 5 miles. Unlike radar, the FLIR is very sensitive to nearby objects. The FLIR also allows visual recognition of wooden boats or non radar reflecting objects.
Another trial was conducted in June/July 1995 on the LNG Taurus, sailing from Osaka, Japan to Bontang, Borneo. A modified FLIR unit was mounted on the foremast and linked by 1000 ft. of cable to the monitor and related computer software on the bridge. Large ships at 12 miles and small wooden boats at 2 miles could be detected in the darkness. Buoys, sealife and shorelines were also decipherable. The crew found it helpful in fog where vision was improved. They could also determine direction of ship movements faster than with radar.
A third test was carried out on the Sea-Land Kodiak from February 2-6, 1996 between Tacoma and Anchorage. Weather conditions varied from fair to rain, fog, freezing rain and snow. The FLIR could
identify: barges and buoys in the harbor area at night, heated tanks on an oil tanker at 3.5 miles, an oil tanker at 5.6 miles in light fog (with 2.5 miles visibility), oil rigs at 14 miles at night, and ice floes well ahead of the ship at night.