- Technology and Innovation
The 4D Radar Advantage: This AI System Sees What Your Captain Misses
The Silent Threat: Addressing Yachting’s Critical Risk
The sea, for all its beauty, is a high-risk environment. For recreational yachting, collisions and groundings remain critical threats, often resulting from delayed reactions or imperfect visibility. The Azimut|Benetti Group, the world’s leading producer of superyachts, has confronted this challenge head-on. Their collaboration with marine-tech innovator WATCHIT has produced WATCHIT Eye, the industry’s first AI-based collision prevention system designed specifically for yachting. This is not mere innovation; it’s a fundamental paradigm shift in risk management at sea.
The AI Difference: Emulating the Experienced Captain
WATCHIT Eye’s genius lies in its core philosophy: it emulates the decision-making process of an experienced captain. The system’s AI engine filters complex data from multiple onboard sensors, combining it with a dedicated and custom-developed 4D Imaging Radar. Crucially, it alerts the captain based on collision timing rather than just distance. This provides the right amount of advance warning needed to respond to everything from small objects like kayaks and marking buoys to other vessels, giving the captain ample time to maneuver safely.
4D Radar: Seeing Through the Noise
Traditional radars and cameras often struggle in low visibility. The High Frequency 4D Imaging Radar developed for WATCHIT Eye solves this persistent operational flaw. It provides excellent short-range detection, precise tracking, and target recognition that remains unaffected by fog, rain, or total darkness. This system dramatically improves the cost-to-performance ratio for marine sensing technology, ensuring clear vision where it is needed most. This ability to identify threats from every direction, regardless of weather, significantly simplifies navigation.
Smart Adaptation: Contextual Safety
The AI engine is sophisticated enough to recognize different navigation modes—port maneuvers, open sea cruising, or congested waters—and adapts its risk warning system accordingly. This continuous data collection and analysis allows the system to identify threats from every direction, ensuring timely alerts. As Azimut|Benetti Group Chief Product Officer, Alessandro Rossi, commented, the system allows the R&D department to integrate solutions from other industries to create tools yacht owners truly need, consistently moving the industry forward.
The Verdict: The Final Word on Safety
The introduction of WATCHIT Eye represents a critical advancement in navigation safety, a goal consistent with the Azimut|Benetti Group’s mission to combine innovation with well-being on board. The system has already been deployed on the new Azimut Fly 82 and the Seadeck 7 Hybrid, proving its real-world application. Its recognition, being shortlisted for the 2025 Boat Builder Awards, validates its positive impact on making recreational boating safer and cementing WATCHIT’s role as a new global benchmark in proactive marine safety.
