Radar Technology

Technologies to analyze the movements of other ships

In crowded waters, where numerous vessels are densely gathered, it is necessary to monitor other vessels to detect any potential threat and prevent accidents.
But to differentiate these "dangerous targets" approaching your ship from other moving ships, you need to continuously monitor the radar and have the necessary experience to evaluate the situation.
Based on these facts, FURUNO has developed advanced technologies for the Radars that can reliably and intuitively track dangerous targets and, as a result, aid the users in their situational awareness.

Target Analyzer™

Dangerous targets can be immediately identified

Target Analyzer™

Display of color-coded echoes, dangerous ships are circled

Target Analyzer™ is an innovative technology that analyzes targets and identifies the dangerous ones that are likely to collide with your ship, using different colors according to the degree of danger. By displaying these dangerous targets in different colors, it becomes straightforward to understand and allows early detection of any threat to keep the navigation safe.

Available in both Magnetron and Solid-State Radar

FURUNO's Target Analyzer™ and its color-coded recognition function can be used with both Magnetron and Solid-State based Doppler Radars.

Doppler Analysis

With the Target Analyzer™ function (Doppler analysis) incorporated into the DRS - NXT Radar series, it is possible to track hazardous targets in real time by determining their approaching course using the Doppler effect. Stationary targets are displayed in green, hazardous targets in red and when the "Rain mode" is on, rain echoes are shown in blue.

Echo Analysis

The Furuno Radars for professionals, FAR Series, and their built-in Target Analyzer™ need only a few scans to acquire a target and analyze its characteristics in order to determine whether the vessel will collide with the ship or not.
With the Echo analysis method, it is possible to acquire even more kinds of targets than with Doppler analysis. Not only moving targets, but also stationary targets, rain and snow will all be shown in different colors in addition to dangerous targets.
Furthermore, with the echo analysis method, even with a multitude of ships around the own vessel, only the targets presenting a collision risk, with their trajectory overlapping own ship's trajectory, will be considered as dangerous targets.

  • * Not available for Radars complying with SOLAS
  • * Depending on parameters, color codes of the echo analysis function may vary.

Target Analyzer™ comparison table

  Doppler Analysis Echo analysis
Compatible Radars Solid-State Radar Magnetron Radar
Solid-State Radar
Determinable target types Dangerous (Risk of collision)
Rain and snow reflection
Dangerous (Risk of collision)
Moving
Stationary
Rain and snow
reflection
Sea surface reflection
Determination speed Real-time Determination Recognition based on multiple scans
Echo analysis
Image of rain and snow reflection with the Echo Analysis function
Doppler analysis
Rain mode with the Doppler analysis function

Introduction Video

Echo analysis
Doppler analysis
  • Innovative technology to quickly track dangerous targets
  • Doppler Analysis with the capability to differentiate targets in real time
  • With even more targets that can be tracked at the same time, the Echo Analysis can be used with magnetron Radars as well

Fast Target Tracking™

Instant and stable tracking of other ships

Fast Target Tracking™

World's best target tracking

Fast Target Tracking™ (Fast TT) is a technology that instantaneously displays a vector indicating the speed and heading of the target.

Faster target acquisition

With conventional TT, it takes some time to display the velocity vector to predict the target's trajectory once it is selected. However, with the Fast TT, targets are automatically tracked right from the beginning, making it possible to immediately calculate the target's trajectory and display the velocity vector. This Fast TT function is particularly useful in congested waters as it can instantaneously track any target.

Evolution of acquisition stability and tracking performance

With its advanced algorithm, the Fast TT's tracking performance is significantly improved compared to any other conventional TT. In addition to suppressing the acquisition focus bug (acquisition mark jumping to a nearby target) caused by the presence of multiple targets, the Fast TT also offers high-level tracking performance of other vessels that make steep turns.

Once target is selected, a speed vector (course prediction result) is instantly displayed

Introduction Video

  • Acquiring a target instantaneously and displaying speed vector
  • Stable tracking preventing target transfer and instant response to sudden course change
  • Reliable technology to provide a quick grasp of other ship's trajectory even in congested waters

True Echo Trails

An intuitive way to display the movement of other vessels

True Echo Trails

Displaying the trail of any echo

The echo trail is a technique used to visually understand movements (path and speed) of other vessels by displaying a residual image (trail) at different times of an echo.

For example, if a ship is navigating at high speed, long trails will be displayed. Conversely, trails will not be shown on stationary targets such as ships or buoys at berth. If a moving vessel stops, the trail will gradually become shorter.

Types of echo trails

There are two distinct types of echo trails, true trail and relative trail.
With relative trail, the relative movement of other vessels based on your own ship's movement is displayed. On the other hand, with true trail, the true movement of the other ships, relative to the land and not your ship, is displayed. Therefore, there are no trails for stationary ships.

The true trail function is capable of seeing other ships' movement

True trail shows the trail of other ships on the Radar screen as if the viewer were looking down from a birds-eye view. It shows the actual speed of all vessels, which allows the user to grasp the movement of other ships more intuitively.
With FURUNO's true trail, you can also use the Head-Up mode.

* Appropriate sensors are required to use True Trails.

Relative trail

Trail based on own ship

True Trail

Trail mark relative to land and water surface
  • By displaying the residual image (trail) of an echo, the echo trail function helps your situational awareness of other ships’ movement
  • The true trail function shows absolute movement of other ships
  • Head-Up Mode is available with Furuno true echo trail

Advanced Relative Trails

Relative trail for crucial targets only

Advanced Relative Trails

Conventional relative trail

Relative trail is a technique particularly useful to help judge whether there is a risk of collision or not as it displays the relative movement of the other ships according to own ship's trajectory and speed.

Recurrent problems with relative trail

At the time of its development, the relative trail was appearing even when the ship was turning and moving, causing problems of visibility until the trail was finally reset.

For this reason, many manufacturers' relative trail has been devised not to draw trails caused by the relative movement of other ships during own ship's maneuver.

An advanced relative trail (land trail removed)

However, with the Furuno advanced relative trail, in addition to removing the trail when turning, only trails of moving targets will be shown, leaving stationary targets without any marker. (Land erase)

Easy-to-see relative trail even in coastal areas

With the advanced relative trail, and the superior visibility it provides due to the suppression of unnecessary trails, it becomes possible to avoid trail superposition and distinguish a stationary sea mark (no trail due to stationary stance) from a ship cruising nearby (trail).

* Not available for Radars complying with SOLAS

Relative Echo Trails

Trail based on own ship

Advanced Relative Trail

Trail based on own ship
  • Easy-to-Understand Relative Trail for enhanced collision risk assessment
  • An advanced relative trail, where you can choose to let appear or not trails from land and stationary targets.
  • Visibility and intuitiveness as stationary targets can have their trails removed