12 Dec Consilium and Hyundai test AI cameras to spot shipboard fires earlier

Consilium Safety Group and Hyundai Heavy Industries have begun trialling AI-powered camera technology for shipboard fire detection, marking one of the first attempts to integrate video analytics directly into certified marine fire alarm systems.​

The two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Gastech exhibition in Milan to test Hyundai’s HiCAMS system, which uses cameras and AI to identify smoke and flames. A pilot project is under way on the test vessel Sawasdee Sunrise in South Korea, where HiCAMS is linked to Consilium’s Safety Management Interface Graphics (SMiG) platform and focused initially on detecting smoke and visible flame. One of the first planned applications is container vessels: Consilium’s existing Temperature Monitoring System (TMS) tracks heat build-up inside containers below deck, while HiCAMS will monitor cargo stacked above deck for early signs of smoke.​

Consilium has said the next step is to engage classification societies to seek Approval in Principle (AIP), which would confirm that AI-based video detection is suitable for use within certified fire alarm systems at sea. Hyundai’s HiCAMS technology has previously received class and flag approvals as an AI fire monitoring system, with the company citing faster recognition of smoke and flames compared with conventional point detectors. If AIP is granted for this combined approach, it could open the door to wider deployment on container ships, vehicle decks and large open spaces where traditional detectors struggle with airflows, height and geometry.​

Where major ports, offshore assets and regional shipping lanes are central to trade and energy exports, successful validation of AI-based marine fire detection could influence future specifications for newbuilds and retrofits, as well as joint standards discussions with international partners.