SailGP AI Camera Can Stop Collisions Before They Happen

The fastest sailing boats in the world are whizzing by me in all directions, but my attention is focused on the one that's not moving. It's the boat representing the US team in the SailGP race series. On the stern of this F-50 hydrofoil is a new camera that could change the way spectators watch this sport.

I'm on the San Francisco Bay watching boats practice two days before the 2024 SailGP Grand Final. I'm here to see a camera equipped with a new AI algorithm that was designed to learn from how the F-50 and its crew move during a race. "The secret sauce is the software behind it." says SailGP Chief Technology Officer Warren Jones.

"Using AI, we can say where will that (boat) be in the next 20 seconds or 30 seconds, and then be able to move a camera within 100 milliseconds." 

Jones says the AI can identify when a boat is about to capsize, so broadcast cameras can capture the moment live. The algorithm can also alert crews about an impending capsize or collision. To learn more about how SailGP is using AI, watch the video above.

This isn't the first time SailGP has used AI. Last year, engineers launched an AI-based anomaly-detection program. This algorithm analyzes billions of data points from 125 boat sensors to identify when a part may be about to fail.

SailGP is currently testing the AI-enhanced camera, and hopes to have one on every race boat when the next racing season kicks off in November.