Vessel Identification & Positioning System (VIPS)^®

VIPS^® : Shaping The Future Of Port Surveillance

VIPS^® is an intelligent Vision product that grew out of Stratech's collaboration with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore ("MPA"), one of the world's premier ports. The collaboration resulted in the creation of this advanced Next Generation Vessel Traffic Management System for port, ship, and waterside strategic asset protection, security and surveillance.

VIPS^® runs on a unique combination of advanced image processing technology and intelligent video analysis algorithms to create an intelligent Vision-based surveillance system.

It can automatically detect, track, identify and predict the path of vessels or targets entering ports and channels in real-time. The intelligent algorithms of VIPS^® are capable of performing vessel measurement of key characteristics such as height, shape and size to validate against Radar and AIS information as well as past information stored in the system database.

Features:

• Automatic Vessel Detection, Identification and Classification
• Automatic Vessel Tracking
• Automatic Vessel Prediction
• Vessel Data Logging
• International Maritime Organization - Automated Identification System Compliance Validation and Enforcement
• Vessel Data Logging

VIPS^® is one of Stratech’s core engines which powers state-of-the-art maritime port security and surveillance systems:

• Next-Generation Vessel Traffic Management

VIPS^® serves as an enhanced Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) with vision capabilities, either deployed stand-alone or integrated with an existing VTMS, for ports, harbours and other maritime vessel facilities.  It provides enhanced situational awareness, clear visuals of events of interest, and additional line of detection/monitoring capabilities (especially in areas of radar blind spots).

• Vessel Height Surveillance System (VHSS^TM)

A core capability of VIPS^® is Vessel Height Surveillance System (VHSS^TM) – an automated solution which integrates Radar, AIS and vision-based height measurement.

It enables the continuous measurement and automatic computation of vessel height.  This is crucial for airports that have take-off and landing flight paths over water to ensure minimum height clearance in the aircraft flight zone. VHSS^TM also helps to prevent collisions of vessels with sea infrastructure like bridges and cables.

• Coastal/Waterway Surveillance 

VIPS^® delivers automatic intruder detection, classification and tracking of vessels for coastal surveillance. It complements maritime radar system with the element of sight. Monitoring over large areas of the waterside, VIPS^® identifies vessels and scours the waterway for all vessels entering its region of interest and tracks their movements. In addition, the system can be used to detect/capture activities such as smuggling or illegal immigration.

• VIPS^® Anti-Piracy

•  Ship (Perimeter) Security and Surveillance

By installing VIPS^® EOS at strategic points (ship’s bow, control tower, observation deck), the system serves as a fully integrated ship security surveillance system that constantly monitors the pre-defined ship perimeters, and provides early warning and intelligent visual identification of approaching targets. Undesirable or undeclared vessels can then be ‘positively’ identified to enable appropriate and timely intervention.

• Ship Collision Avoidance

VIPS^® can be used for vessel proximity detection to prevent a possible collision accident. It constantly monitors vessels that are in the vicinity, and detects and tracks the position, course and speed of all vessels to automatically send out an alert when vessels are heading in crossed paths. 

• Offshore Asset Protection

VIPS^® automatically detects and identifies suspicious activities over water and alerts strategic asset owners of impending sea borne attacks or incursions with visual data. All approaching vessels are tagged for identification and VIPS^® integrates seamlessly with existing AIS and Radar systems to provide centralised alarm management. For enhanced security, vessels can be equipped with secure Long Range Vessel Tracking Transponder Devices. Wireless communications is also available via satellite/GPRS/GSM network.

• Hydro-Electric Dam Security and Surveillance

VIPS^® offers an effective security measure catered for hydro-electric dams in terms of perimeter surveillance at the reservoir and the dam structure. It tracks and records even the smallest vessel such as a rubber boat near the dam.