Consilium and Hyundai advance shipboard fire detection with HiCAMS video technology

Consilium and Hyundai trial AI cameras at sea

Consilium Safety Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hyundai Heavy Industries at the Gastech exhibition in Milan to test AI-powered cameras in certified fire alarm systems on ships.

The agreement focuses on Hyundai’s HiCAMS video technology, which uses cameras to identify smoke and flames within shipboard fire detection functions.

According to Consilium, the collaboration is among the first initiatives to apply camera-based detection directly to maritime fire alarm systems.

A pilot test is already underway on the test vessel Sawasdee Sunrise in Korea.

During this pilot, HiCAMS has been connected to Consilium’s Safety Management Interface Graphics platform, with initial work concentrating on smoke and flame detection.

AI fire detection trial on container vessels

Consilium said one of the earliest operational uses of the combined system is expected on container vessels.

The company’s Temperature Monitoring System currently tracks heat build-up in containers stored below deck.

HiCAMS is being introduced to monitor cargo stacked above deck for the first signs of smoke.

Together, the systems are intended to extend detection coverage across both below-deck and above-deck container areas on participating vessels, according to the company.

Wider applications and path to certification

Thobias Ernfridsson, Chief Technology Officer at Consilium Safety Group, said: “There is strong interest in combining proven systems like TMS with new detection methods for areas where additional coverage is needed.

“Working with Hyundai on HiCAMS, a proven video-based fire detection technology, we aim to demonstrate its potential as a key component of certified fire alarm systems for maritime safety.

“Large, open spaces such as vehicle decks on ferries, atriums on cruise ships, or even shopping malls and warehouses present challenges for traditional smoke detectors, which often only react once smoke has reached ceiling level.

“Camera-based detection can monitor a much larger volume and provide earlier warnings in such environments.

“This is a natural next step, giving us the chance to explore new ways of improving safety together.”

Consilium noted that camera-based detection is already emerging in other sectors, but that this initiative is focused directly on marine applications.

The company stated that the next step for the partnership is to open dialogue with a classification society to obtain an Approval in Principle for the technology.

Such an Approval in Principle would confirm that HiCAMS is considered viable for use within a certified fire alarm system and would allow the partners to progress towards a full proof-of-concept for shipboard use.

Operational impact for marine and infrastructure safety teams

Marine and shipping fire officers may use findings from the Sawasdee Sunrise pilot to assess whether camera-based smoke and flame detection can support shipboard fire alarm strategies on container vessels and other ship types.

Equipment specifiers and procurement officers in the marine sector could gain new options for combining temperature monitoring below deck with visual monitoring above deck when specifying integrated fire alarm systems.

Standards and certification bodies will be directly involved once Consilium Safety Group and Hyundai Heavy Industries engage with a classification society to seek Approval in Principle for integrating HiCAMS into certified fire alarm systems.

System installers, fire-protection contractors and fire engineers working with large open spaces, such as vehicle decks or atriums, may track this trial as camera-based detection becomes more closely aligned with formal marine fire detection and alarm requirements.