from the new-use-for-not-so-new-technology dept.
Today's ships are equipped with radar systems that let them identify other ships from a distance, and while that works well enough for collision avoidance, those systems aren't the greatest at detecting small watercraft ... such as the low-slung skiffs often used by pirates. That's where WatchStander comes in. It's a radar system that's designed to pick out such boats, and then deter their crews before they can attack.
WatchStander uses shorter radio wavelengths than a ship's standard radar system, which is what allows it to detect smaller watercraft that are up to 2 miles (3.2 km) away. Using artificial intelligence software developed at Penn State University's Applied Research Laboratory, it then tracks those boats and watches to see if any of them exhibit "antagonistic behavior" this could include approaching the ship at high speed, on an intercept course.
If any of them do so, the ship's crew will be alerted via visual and audible alarms, plus WatchStander's high-intensity spotlight will be shone at that boat. The light serves to both disorient the possible pirates, and to let them know that they've been spotted, and have therefore lost the element of surprise.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by opinionated_science on Saturday June 07 2014, @08:22PM
great movie, especially when you see the real facts documentary! Tom Hanks does it justice.
As to the new radar, how would it help Capt. Phillips? They knew they were being followed, but it was the lack of response of the respective Navy that seemed to cause the problem.
I know nothing of sailing except what I read, and I understand the distances and response times are quite daunting.
Any experts on SN that can fill us in?
(Score: 2) by skullz on Saturday June 07 2014, @08:27PM
It gives you time to arm the self destruct countdown.
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by edIII on Saturday June 07 2014, @08:46PM
In an oligarchy without even a pretense of seeing the citizen as having human rights, this might be exactly what would happen.
Piracy would stop in a week if every single boat they attempted to board was flooded with biological contaminants from redundant tamper-resistant equipment controlled from suits back at corporate.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Saturday June 07 2014, @08:47PM
Funny, I was imagining another movie with Tom Hanks in it, one were a nice computer generated voice says "You've got Pirates!" "Sleepless in Abu Dhabi"? With Meg Ryan?
(Oh, by the way, having a self-destruct mechanism aboard a commercial vessel pretty much violates all Maritime insurance policies.)
(Score: 1) by cafebabe on Sunday June 08 2014, @01:14AM
But who would fake an orgasm? Barkhad Abdi?
1702845791×2
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 08 2014, @07:17PM
Wrong movie, that's from When Harry Met Sally the Pirate. IIRC, the orgasm seen was when the ransom check came...
(Score: 2, Funny) by cafebabe on Sunday June 08 2014, @11:57PM
I stand corrected.
You can't beat a good money shot.
1702845791×2
(Score: 2) by jasassin on Saturday June 07 2014, @09:42PM
I watched the captain Phillips movie and one thought kept going through my mind "Why doesn't the crew each have an assault rifle?" All those items and all they have to protect themselves and their goods is a firehouse. Is there a reason?
jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0x663EB663D1E7F223
(Score: 4, Informative) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday June 07 2014, @09:55PM
From a quick Google search, the law depends on whether or not the ships are in national or international waters, and the flag of the vessel registered. Some nations do not allow ships to carry arms in their waters, and will prosecute crews for violating laws including weapons-trafficking laws. Some countries also consider arming ships, however slightly, crossing the line between merchant vessel and warship, for example.
Shipping companies may hire armed security guards, and according to the Economist article listed below America is relaxing the rules for arming American-flagged ships, provided the crew adheres to strict rules of engagement. Arming crews could also lead to conflict escalation, for example, a cargo ship could repel a single skiff of Somali pirates, but if the pirates phone home beforehand and request backup, the battle could become much more bloody and the likelihood of losing the vessel or raising the ransom may increase.
Actually, I don't know what the Captain Phillips movie is, ain't seen it. But here's a good explanatory link [economist.com] from which much of my post is sourced.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 08 2014, @07:21PM
...plus WatchStander's high-intensity spotlight will be shone at that boat. The light serves to both disorient the possible pirates, ,let them know that they've been spotted, and gives them a nice target to shoot at.
Fixed that for you.