LYNCEUS2MARKET · Project

Smart Localization System That Finds Every Passenger During Ship Emergencies

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Imagine a cruise ship emergency where crew can see exactly where every single passenger is on a screen — in hallways, cabins, even overboard in the water. That's what this project built. They put tiny trackers into life jackets, wristbands, and cabin key cards, turned smoke detectors into indoor GPS base stations, and added drones and radar that can spot people floating in the sea at night or in bad weather. It's like Find My iPhone, but for 5,000 passengers on a ship that's on fire.

By the numbers

consortium partners

countries represented

industry partners in consortium

EUR 7,260,975

EU contribution for development and validation

SMEs in the consortium

56%

industry ratio in consortium

demonstration deliverables completed

The business problem

What needed solving

During maritime emergencies on large passenger ships, crew have no reliable way to know where every passenger actually is. Muster stations and manual headcounts fail under panic, smoke, flooding, and darkness. When people go overboard, finding them in open water — especially at night or in bad weather — remains a life-or-death challenge with painfully slow search methods.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered a complete passenger localization ecosystem: smart life jackets and wristbands with real-time tracking, smoke detectors repurposed as indoor positioning base stations, localisable cabin key cards, handheld mustering devices for automatic passenger counting, fire and flood monitoring sensors, decision support software with integrated visualization, UAVs for overboard person detection, and low-cost rescue-boat radars. All components were validated through large-scale demonstrations and on-board deployment.

Audience

Who needs this

Cruise line operators managing emergency preparedness for thousands of passengersFerry companies operating on high-traffic routes with tight turnaround timesMaritime safety equipment manufacturers looking to add smart tracking to their productsCoast guard and SAR technology suppliers needing better overboard detection toolsPort authorities and maritime regulators evaluating next-generation safety standards

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Cruise and Ferry Operations

enterprise

Target: Cruise line operators and ferry companies

If you are a cruise line or ferry operator dealing with the nightmare of accounting for thousands of passengers during an emergency evacuation — this project developed a complete localization system using smart life jackets, wristbands, and cabin key cards that track every passenger in real-time. The system was validated through large-scale demonstration exercises with 16 consortium partners including ship owners and builders. It directly addresses the gap between mandatory muster drills and actual emergency readiness.

Maritime Safety Equipment Manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Life jacket, smoke detector, and marine electronics manufacturers

If you are a maritime equipment manufacturer looking to add smart tracking capabilities to your existing product lines — this project created localisable life jackets, smart smoke detectors that double as indoor positioning base stations, and low-cost rescue-boat mounted radars. These were tested through on-board deployment and validation across a consortium of 9 industry partners. Licensing or co-developing these components could open a new product category in your portfolio.

Search and Rescue Services

any

Target: Coast guard technology suppliers and SAR equipment providers

If you are a search and rescue equipment provider struggling with locating people overboard in extreme weather or at night — this project built UAV-based and radar-based systems specifically designed to find people in the sea quickly. The system was validated through dedicated search and rescue overboard localization exercises. With 8 countries in the consortium including Norway and the UK, this was tested with real maritime conditions in mind.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to equip a ship with this system?

The project does not publish per-ship pricing. The total EU contribution was EUR 7,260,975 across 16 partners to develop and validate the full system. Individual components like smart smoke detectors or localisable life jackets would need to be priced through the coordinator or manufacturing partners.

Can this scale to large cruise ships with thousands of passengers?

Yes — the system was specifically designed for large passenger ships. The project included a Large Scale Demonstration and System Validation deliverable, and the consortium includes cruise ship owners, operators, and ship builders as partners. The architecture uses existing ship infrastructure like smoke detectors as base stations.

Who owns the intellectual property and can we license it?

The project was coordinated by RTD TALOS LIMITED, a Cyprus-based SME, with 9 industry partners across 8 countries. IP ownership typically follows EU grant rules where each partner owns what they developed. Licensing discussions would need to go through the coordinator or specific technology partners.

Does this meet current maritime safety regulations like SOLAS?

The project was funded under the MG-4.2-2014 topic focused on passenger ship safety. The consortium includes a classification society, which suggests regulatory alignment was part of the design process. Based on available project data, the system was built to complement and exceed current evacuation requirements.

How long would installation take on an existing vessel?

Based on available project data, the system uses smart smoke detectors as base stations, which could potentially replace existing detectors during scheduled refits. The project completed an Initial On-board Deployment and Validation phase, suggesting the installation process was tested on real vessels. Specific timelines would depend on ship size and configuration.

Can this integrate with our existing ship management and bridge systems?

The system includes intelligent decision support software that fuses localization, activity, and disaster escalation data into an integrated real-time visualization. Based on the consortium including ship builders and operators, integration with existing bridge systems was likely considered. Contact the coordinator for specific integration protocols.

Consortium

Who built it

The LYNCEUS2MARKET consortium is heavily industry-driven: 9 out of 16 partners (56%) are from industry, and 9 are SMEs, spanning 8 European countries. This is not an academic exercise — the partnership includes cruise ship owners, operators, ship builders, maritime equipment manufacturers, and a classification society. The coordinator is RTD TALOS LIMITED, a Cyprus-based SME specializing in R&D. With only 1 university and 1 research organization, the consortium was clearly assembled to push technology from lab to market. The geographic spread across Norway, UK, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and Cyprus covers major European maritime hubs.

RTD TALOS LIMITEDCoordinator · CY
CSEM CENTRE SUISSE D'ELECTRONIQUE ET DE MICROTECHNIQUE SA - RECHERCHE ET DEVELOPPEMENTparticipant · CH
YPOURGEIO METAFORON, EPIKOINONION KAI ERGONparticipant · CY
SIGNALGENERIX LIMITEDparticipant · CY
RCL CRUISES LTDparticipant · UK
CELESTYAL SHIP MANAGEMENT LIMITEDparticipant · CY
LLOYD'S REGISTER EMEAparticipant · UK
ASOCIACION DE EMPRESARIOS TEXTILES DE LA REGION VALENCIANAparticipant · ES
I. PANARETOU - CHAR. KOSTOPOULOS OEparticipant · EL
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET DRESDENparticipant · DE
MARITIME INSTITUTE OF EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN - MAR.IN.E.M.participant · CY

How to reach the team

RTD TALOS LIMITED (Cyprus) — contact via SciTransfer for introduction to the coordinator and relevant technology partners

Order a report on this consortium See RTD TALOS LIMITED profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how this passenger localization technology could work on your vessels or in your product line? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the project team and help evaluate fit for your specific needs.

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