LOOKOUT Taps Tech To Enhance Situational Awareness

Maintaining situational awareness is essential to safely running any boat. Companies big and small are leveraging the ongoing explosion of digital and AI technology to develop products that make boating safer and more enjoyable. One emerging area is augmented reality, in which data and imagery is overlaid onto a live camera image to enhance a skipper’s situational awareness. The new LOOKOUT camera system was built by a team of Boston-based AI researchers, video game developers, 3D designers, and hardware engineers. The system’s camera and processor (which they’ve named Brain) tap data from charts, AIS, and radar targets to overlay a 3D augmented reality view onto a helm MFD, tablet, or smartphone.

“We're living in an era where AI, augmented reality, and spatial computing are transforming navigation and safety,” says David Rose, CEO of LOOKOUT. “Boating should benefit from the same innovation we see in automotive and aerospace. LOOKOUT integrates AI tech with intuitive, beautiful, and beneficial software design, providing clarity especially in challenging conditions like low light, fog, and crowded harbors.”

Much like the ClearCruise AR camera system that Raymarine introduced in 2018, LOOKOUT adds augmented reality to mark AIS and ATONs.

“LOOKOUT uses advanced computer vision algorithms to automatically detect and track hazards such as other vessels, small buoys, debris, whales, and even people in the water,” Rose says. “It even shows your route superimposed on the water like a yellow brick road.”

The system’s components include:

• LOOKOUT Camera: An AI-optimized three-camera system featuring infrared night-vision, high-resolution daylight zoom, and 360-degree views for docking.
• LOOKOUT Brain: A high-capacity processor powered by NVIDIA technology to process multiple data streams and create an intuitive augmented reality view.
• LOOKOUT Cloud: An optional service for boats with StarLink or other internet connection, enabling community-driven data sharing.

The Camera sells for $3,995, the Brain for $4,995. Customers can upgrade to the Brain PRO for $9,995, which produces higher frame rates and resolution for detecting smaller, more distant targets. LOOKOUT directs buyers to its network of certified installers. The installation time and price vary based on the vessel but is generally similar to a thermal camera installation, according to the manufacturer.