Technology That Could Save Lives at Sea: Perry Stave on the Future of Man-Overboard Detection

Perry Stave CEO International Safety Advisory (INTSA)

The global cruise industry carries millions of passengers every year and promotes itself as one of the safest forms of travel. Yet incidents where passengers or crew members go overboard continue to occur, sometimes with fatal consequences.

Advances in artificial intelligence, LiDAR detection and autonomous drone response systems are now offering new ways to reduce response times and improve survival chances when these emergencies happen.

In this Industry Leaders interview, Perry Stave, CEO of International Safety Advisory (INTSA), explains why traditional detection methods have struggled, how the company’s ProEye DTR® system aims to transform response times from minutes to seconds, and why he believes the maritime industry must accelerate adoption of automated safety technologies.

The cruise industry often promotes itself as one of the safest forms of travel. Yet man-overboard incidents still occur every year. From your perspective, how serious is the problem today?

Perry: As long as people continue to go overboard and are not found in time, the problem remains serious, and the consequences can be fatal.

At International Safety Advisory (INTSA), our focus is on addressing exactly this type of risk. We work with maritime operators and safety experts to develop technologies and systems that reduce response time and improve survival outcomes in man-overboard situations.

Recent incidents, including an overboard case involving a vessel operated by Disney Cruise Line, have renewed attention on this issue. What do events like this reveal about the gaps in current detection and response systems?

Perry: These incidents highlight the limitations of many existing systems, which often perform well in some environments but poorly in others.

At INTSA, we have approached the problem from a safety and response perspective, recognising that detection alone is not enough. What matters is identifying the incident immediately and initiating a rapid response.

For readers unfamiliar with the technology, can you explain how the ProEye DTR® system works and how quickly it can respond to a man-overboard situation?

Perry: ProEye DTR® is a system developed by INTSA based on risk assessments and gap analyses. The key question we asked ourselves was simple: What are the most important actions that must happen immediately when someone goes overboard?

The system uses LiDAR which is laser beam technology to detect a person in the water within milliseconds and trigger an alarm. It marks the position and launches an autonomous drone that can reach the area within about 2.5 minutes, deploy a flotation device, and send live data back to the vessel.

This process can make the difference between saving and losing lives.

In real-world rescue scenarios, how much difference can reducing detection time from minutes to seconds actually make for survival chances?

Perry: A rapid rescue operation is vital in many situations. Unfortunately, history shows that many people are not reported missing until hours have passed. By then, it is often too late.

At INTSA, our goal has been to reduce response time as much as possible through autonomous detection and response.

If the technology is available today, why do you think many cruise operators have been slow to adopt automated man-overboard detection systems?

Perry: Systems like this are not mandatory, and many of the solutions previously available have not been reliable enough.

However, change is being initiated. Many operators recognise that safety is a core part of the passenger experience and are exploring technologies like those developed by INTSA.

Industry Leaders: In your discussions with cruise companies, what concerns or objections do you hear most often when the topic of installing systems like ProEye DTR® comes up?

Perry :The concerns we hear most often relate to cost and reliability. Operators want confidence that the system will work consistently.

Much of INTSA’s work has focused on building that reliability into the technology.

Do you believe the main barrier is cost, operational complexity, or something else such as reputational concerns within the industry?

Perry:The main barriers are cost and functionality. While no system can eliminate risk entirely, the industry should still do everything possible to reduce it. In practice, the cost could be covered by a small increase in ticket prices. Safety also affects reputation; without systems like ProEye DTR®, passengers may choose other operators.

Should maritime regulators consider making automatic man-overboard detection systems mandatory on passenger vessels?

Perry: As long as incidents continue, there is a strong case for making such systems mandatory.

The International Maritime Organisation plays an important role, though progress has been slow. While some operators are already installing ProEye DTR®, if we want to save lives, the wider industry must adopt technologies that enable faster detection and response.

How difficult is it to integrate AI-powered drone response systems into the existing safety procedures and infrastructure on large cruise ships?

Perry: A system like ProEye DTR® is advanced, but with modern ship infrastructure, integration is achievable. At INTSA, we focus on ensuring the system can work alongside existing onboard navigation and safety systems.

Your system is already being used in Norway. What lessons or real-world results have come from those deployments?

Perry: Deployments in Norway have shown that the INTSA ProEye DTR® system can operate reliably in challenging maritime conditions. They have also demonstrated that the technology can be adapted for different operational needs and monitored from other locations, which opens up wider applications across the maritime safety sector.

One common concern with automated detection systems is false alarms. How does your AI system differentiate between a genuine overboard incident and normal passenger activity on deck?

Perry: Avoiding false alarms is essential. The system developed by INTSA uses a three-layer verification process. Sensors first scan the area, the object is then analysed by the algorithm, and finally a verification step confirms the event before an alarm is triggered.

Beyond cruise ships, where else in the maritime sector could rapid-response drone systems have the biggest impact?

Perry: We believe this technology has strong potential beyond cruise ships.

At INTSA, we see growing interest from sectors such as private yachts and offshore oil and gas operations, where rapid detection and response can significantly improve maritime safety.

Looking ahead, how do you see AI, automation, and autonomous drones shaping the future of maritime safety?

Perry: Technological development will play a major role in the next phase of maritime safety.

We can expect AI and autonomous systems to move from experimental tools to practical safety infrastructure. With broader adoption of solutions like ProEye DTR®, we hope man-overboard fatalities will decrease significantly.

If you could address cruise line executives directly today, what would you say to persuade them to adopt new man-overboard detection technologies?

Perry: Over the past decade, passenger expectations have changed; people increasingly expect safety and security to be integrated into the overall travel experience. Operators that recognise this early will likely have an advantage over more conservative competitors, and technologies like ProEye DTR® are part of that shift.

For more information on ProEye DTR® visit International Safety Advisory (INTSA)

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