Protecting Crew Safety at Sea... SKT Unveils Real-Time Monitoring Technology

SK Telecom employees inspecting a smartwatch-based crew location and health monitoring solution. Photo by SKT

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Su-yeon] SK Telecom is unveiling a solution that protects the safety of ship crew members from accidents such as maritime fires and flooding by utilizing smartwatch-based location and health management technology along with sensor technology.

On the 12th, SKT announced that it will exhibit a smartwatch-based crew location and health monitoring solution inside vessels, as well as a facility safety management solution using Internet of Things (IoT) detection sensors, at the '2022 Korea Safety Industry Expo' hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and Daegu Metropolitan City.

At this event, SKT plans to highlight the excellence of its specialized technology for military and coast guard vessels (large and small military ships used by the Navy and Coast Guard) among its ship-related major accident-linked safety management solutions.

The 'smartwatch-based real-time location management technology inside vessels' identifies the real-time location of each crew member wearing a smartwatch through low-power Bluetooth (BLE) beacon sensors installed in different zones inside the vessel, enabling initial response in emergencies such as fires, flooding, or drowning incidents. The 'crew health management service' is a solution that immediately confirms the safety and health of crew members by activating an emergency alarm on the smartwatch if an abnormal heart rate is detected.

SKT also introduces a fire and temperature/humidity sensor-based real-time monitoring technology that addresses the high fire risk due to chemicals such as fuel and the difficulty of evacuation caused by compartmentalized structures inside vessels.

SKT continues to develop technology that can quickly and accurately identify locations to respond in emergencies both inside and outside ships. Since first unveiling technology in 2019 that protects the safety of crew and passengers on cargo and passenger ships using IoT networks, SKT has been improving its performance.

Collaboration with the government has also been active. In 2020, SKT participated in the Navy's 'SMART Navy' project, establishing a wireless network system based on LTE and IoT communications on the Korean Aegis destroyer, and this year, it is providing related demonstration services on a 3,000-ton coast guard patrol vessel.

SKT aims to continuously research related technologies to provide optimal solutions that protect the safety of citizens from accidents and disasters not only on military vessels but also on general ships.

Jung Chang-kwon, head of SK Telecom's Infrastructure Business Division, stated, “To protect crew members from fatal maritime accidents, SKT is continuously advancing its smartwatch-based location and health management technology and IoT solutions, and is also developing technology for real-time management of facilities inside vessels through wireless networks.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.