The AI-based vessel passage safety oversight pilot project at Danjin Lock has completed its full-cycle closed-loop trial run, with a smart waterborne "sentry" officially taking up duty, signaling that lock management and protection have entered a modern era empowered by technology and intelligent prevention.
Traditional manual lock management suffers from issues such as oversight gaps, delayed responses, and insufficient efficiency, making it difficult to meet high-quality navigation assurance needs. To address this, the Changzhou Lock Management Center utilized existing equipment resources in the lock area, added AI intelligent recognition algorithms, and built a low-cost, high-efficiency, round-the-clock, comprehensive intelligent monitoring system. This system effectively breaks down information silos, aggregates multi-dimensional management data, and enables full-process intelligent control and closed-loop operations for vessel passage, completely reversing the passive nature of traditional management.
Relying on the new intelligent oversight framework, three major digital application scenarios have been fully implemented. The approach channel intelligent monitoring acts as a waterborne "intelligent lookout," accurately calculating navigation parameters, warning of oversized vessels, and identifying surface water hazards, effectively avoiding navigation accidents and improving passage efficiency. Personnel safety proactive alerts serve as a crew "personal safety officer," routinely regulating crew behavior on the water, intelligently identifying fall risks, and rapidly coordinating rescues, strengthening the waterborne safety defense line. Large-cargo online closed-loop services function as a "navigation assistant" for boat operators, using a WeChat mini-program to enable full-process online inquiries and intelligent feedback for large-cargo lock passage, eliminating the need for in-person trips and fundamentally mitigating navigation risks from oversized vessels.
The deployment of the intelligent oversight system has significantly improved the comprehensive management effectiveness of Danjin Lock. Smart devices replace tedious manual inspections and verification tasks, driving safety management from passive post-incident remediation to active pre-incident prediction, effectively reducing various navigation safety risks. Meanwhile, frontline staff are freed from repetitive mechanical work, allowing them to focus on core tasks such as emergency response and channel maintenance. Online convenience services have been continuously enhanced, genuinely improving the passage experience and satisfaction for shipping enterprises and boat operators.
This AI safety oversight pilot project represents a key practice for the lock management center in advancing the digital transformation of locks and reshaping the comprehensive security system. Looking ahead, the center will accelerate the development of digital twin locks, iteratively enrich intelligent security application scenarios, and continuously enhance the modernization level of waterway navigation governance.