Posted On: 11/4/2026, 8:40:19 PM
Last Update: 11/4/2026, 8:40:19 PM
Orca AI has officially launched BerthView, a berthing assistance solution that integrates the SeaPod digital watchkeeper with SVISION, Samsung Heavy Industries' assistance system. This innovation provides an uninterrupted layer of AI-driven situational awareness from open waters to the final berthing stages.
This launch represents a significant milestone in the partnership between Orca AI and SHI, which was initiated in April 2026, transitioning from technology integration to a commercially available offering for shipowners and operators.
Particularly, BerthView will enable retrofitting on existing vessels, facilitating the deployment of advanced navigation and autonomous features in both new and current fleets.
As a vessel approaches port, its navigation requirements undergo significant changes. The density of traffic increases, manoeuvring space becomes constrained, and the bridge teams face reduced time to evaluate evolving situations. This environment necessitates a heightened level of awareness regarding the vessel's immediate surroundings, particularly during close-quarters operations, where precision becomes critical.
Moreover, Orca AI’s SeaPod utilises AI and computer vision to identify, track, and evaluate targets and navigational hazards, from open waters to busy coastal areas and port approaches.
During close-quarters, low-speed manoeuvres and berthing, BerthView enhances perception with fisheye cameras that offer a 360-degree view of the vessel's surroundings, supplemented by visual distance guides and a virtual safety boundary to aid crews in assessing clearance from nearby vessels and hazards.
The new solution provides bridge teams with a continuous view of the vessel's operating environment and integrates navigational events with FleetView, Orca AI's cloud-based safety and fleet operations platform. This allows shore teams to recognise recurring risks, investigate incidents, support claims, and utilise real operational events for structured crew training and fleet-wide learning.
The launch of a collaboration between Orca AI and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) builds on a Memorandum of Understanding from April 2026. This partnership aims to integrate SHI’s shipbuilding and autonomous vessel technologies with Orca AI’s AI-driven navigation systems.
SHI offers an autonomous vessel lineup that features SAS (Samsung Autonomous System), which enhances voyage efficiency through automatic route adjustments and speed regulation, as well as SVISION, designed for precise manoeuvring and berthing. Through this collaboration, the companies are advancing the deployment of autonomous navigation technologies within commercial fleets.
Notably, CEO of Orca AI, Yarden Gross, emphasised the significance of their launch in realising autonomous shipping as a commercial reality. By integrating Orca AI's platform with Samsung Heavy Industries' shipbuilding expertise, they aim to provide immediate operational value to shipowners and establish a foundation for more autonomous operations. The retrofit capability of BerthView across existing fleets is highlighted as a key strategy for scaling these innovations in the global shipping market.
Furthermore, Head of SHI’s Research Institute, Hyun Joe Kim, stressed that autonomous shipping requires the integration of advanced technologies into a cohesive intelligent system. The partnership with Orca AI is a significant advancement, as it merges SVISION and SAS with Orca AI’s navigation technology, enhancing intelligent navigation throughout the voyage — from open waters to close-quarters manoeuvring and berthing. This collaboration aims to establish a scalable foundation for future autonomous vessels.
Ultimately, companies have not shared installation costs or quantified reductions in berthing incidents. The system's commercial success hinges on its ability to improve situational awareness and integrate into current bridge procedures. Orca AI claims its platform is used on over 2,000 vessels and serves clients such as Maran Tankers, MSC, Seaspan, and NYK.
Maritime Courses in London highlight the integration of engineering, operational, and regulatory elements in ship retrofit berthing systems. Key topics covered include emissions reduction through cold ironing, advanced berthing aids, and mooring retrofits. The retrofitting process involves 3D laser scanning, stability verification, and structural reinforcement, ensuring compliance with classification society standards and environmental regulations for safe port operations.
