Fraunhofer Center for Assistive Information and Communication Solutions – AICOSTwo of the 32 Optimist boats of the Volvo Ocean Race (in Algés) integrated a pilot project to detect risk situations. The mWaterSafety project, developed by Fraunhofer Portugal and the DigitalWind company, is a technology platform that identifies signal anomalies by monitoring information such as shipwrecks or changes to the expected path of the vessels. The pilot project was displayed in two boats of the race on last May 31, from 10am to 2pm, in Algés.
This initiative was developed under the theme "Security in Practice of Recreational Boating" and included the installation of a set of sensors and smartphones in vessels. Simultaneously, a technical station was installed in the Direção Geral de Política do Mar (DGPM) area in order to control, in real time, the behavior of vessels.
Based on a smartphone app and external sensors placed on ships or vessels, mWaterSafety allows to obtain information on the positioning of boats or equipment (eg, sailing and windsurfing) and their routes. The mWaterSafety project tracks remotely the movement of vessels, thereby increasing safety levels in the practice of nautical activities. In its more playful side, it can also get information about the sports performance of practitioners of water sports.
In addition to Fraunhofer Portugal and DigitalWind, the mWaterSafety is being developed in partnership with the Direção-Geral da Autoridade Marítima (DGAM), Sporting Clube de Aveiro, Clube de Vela da Costa Nova and Associação Náutica da Gafanha da Encarnação. The project is funded by QREN and fostered by Inova-Ria.