Electronic lookout function for increased ship safety

When assessing the possibilities of defining a machine-based visual lookout for use in ships in international commercial traffic, it quickly becomes apparent that the current legal system needs some adjustment. The provisions in SOLAS, STCW 2010 and COLREG are very descriptive with the weight of requirements on matters such as the design and construction of the bridge and the vision and hearing of the able seaman or rating of the watch. In a goal-based system, it would be preferred to develop functional descriptions for the lookout, with the minimum levels of information input defined.