HeavePredictor

The HeavePredictor by Next Ocean is a technology that uses a conventional X-band marine navigation radar to observe the surrounding ocean waves and predict the future waves approaching the ship and the resulting ship motions. The radar captures the sea surface reflections, also known as sea clutter, which are modulations in the received electromagnetic signal caused by the wind-induced ripples on the sea surface (Bragg scattering). This sea clutter contains information about the underlying surface waves.

Next Ocean has developed advanced algorithms that can analyze this raw radar data before any filtering is applied. The 360-degree rotating radar antenna provides a full view of waves coming from any direction, which is crucial for predicting waves in confused seas with multiple wave systems. The algorithms translate the observed waves into a directional wave spectrum and then propagate these waves into the near future, resulting in predictions of the waves arriving at the ship and the associated ship motions.

While the system can work with standard non-coherent marine radars, Next Ocean optionally offers a dedicated vertically polarized (VV) radar antenna, known for superior wave detection capabilities, especially in lighter wind and wave conditions. The HeavePredictor does not require expensive coherent Doppler radar, as independent research has confirmed that both Doppler signals and backscatter intensity signals from non-coherent radar are suitable for sea surface reconstruction.