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Navigating at sea comes with constant challenges, as captains and navigators must process large amounts of real-time information from numerous onboard instruments. Situational awareness is crucial for avoiding accidents, yet it’s easy to become distracted by lighting conditions and the environment. A new technology developed at NTNU aims to enhance safety by offering navigators a more intuitive way to perceive information.

The Maritime Head-Up Display (M-HUD) project originates from the MIDAS initiative and is now moving toward commercialization.

Maritime Head-Up Display (M-HUD) is a LED-based visual technology designed to improve situational awareness for maritime navigators. The system displays critical information directly within the navigator’s field of view, allowing visual cues for navigation points and surrounding objects without requiring the navigator to look away from the environment. This helps maintain focus while receiving real-time data.

M-HUD reduces cognitive load by presenting information in a non-distracting way and helps navigators detect potentially critical objects—like other vessels or navigational markers—more easily.

Maritime Head-Up Display, illustration

From research concept to realization

M-HUD has its roots in the MIDAS project – “Humans in future ocean operations” – a capacity-building initiative focused on the human role in increasingly autonomous and automated maritime environments. The MIDAS initiative, involving academia, research, and industry, has developed solutions that strengthen the innovation capacity of key Norwegian players and contribute to the development and export of maritime autonomy technologies.

NTNU has been a key partner in the project, and M-HUD is a direct result of the interdisciplinary efforts involved.

Maritime Head-Up Display, illustration

Background and inspiration: From the Armed Forces to NTNU

The story behind M-HUD began in the early 2000s, when Jon Bernhard Høstmark, one of the inventors of M-HUD, was working in the Norwegian Armed Forces. As part of a team operating the Combat Boat 90—capable of navigating at speeds of up to 45 knots—Høstmark experienced the challenge of high-speed navigation in unfamiliar waters.

Jon Bernhard Høstmark

Høstmark quickly realized that in these situations, maintaining situational awareness was difficult. Much of the navigation was visual, through the windows, and this became increasingly demanding at high speed.

“We relied heavily on our eyes to orient ourselves, and it was easy to get distracted. I saw a need for technology that could assist navigators without distracting them,” Høstmark explains.

After further work on navigation systems at Kongsberg and Kongsberg Automotive, Høstmark became an adjunct professor at NTNU. There, he met Ole Andreas Alsos, an expert in human-computer interaction. Together, they began exploring how technology could enhance situational awareness without distracting the navigator.

“We started developing various ideas, thinking about how to present relevant information in a simple and intuitive way, without interfering with the navigator’s focus,” Alsos says.

The technology behind M-HUD

M-HUD is designed to present key information directly in the navigator’s field of view—eliminating the need to look down at instruments. For example, the system can display the position of a lighthouse or another vessel relative to the navigator, making it easier to identify important objects in real time.

The system is based on simple mathematics and technology that projects the object’s relative direction and distance near the window, enabling fast and precise orientation without shifting focus to screens. Using simulators in Ålesund, the technology was tested in a lab environment—with impressive results. Students participating in the trials identified twice as many objects, spent less time per object, and reported significantly lower cognitive load compared to traditional navigation tools.

“The results confirmed we were on the right track. With solid research data, we had something tangible to build on, laying the foundation for commercialization,” Høstmark says.

Image caption: Maritime Head-Up Display, illustration

A case example: The Helge Ingstad accident

One example of how M-HUD could make a difference is the Helge Ingstad accident. One of the critical mistakes in that incident involved misinterpreting the deck lights of the oil tanker TS Sola. The captain of Helge Ingstad mistook them for the lights of the Sture Terminal near Bergen. This inability to distinguish the lights led to a misjudgment of the situation. At the core of the incident: a lack of situational awareness.

Situational awareness is vital when navigating in unfamiliar waters, and its absence is a leading cause of serious maritime accidents. Fatigue, poor communication, inadequate procedures, and lack of compliance with safety regulations on the bridge are additional risk factors. 

These kinds of distractions and misjudgments can prevent timely reactions to potential hazards. Technology like M-HUD can help reduce such incidents by providing immediate visual cues about objects and dangers in real time. This enables better understanding and decision-making in critical situations—potentially preventing collisions.

Jens Nygaard, NTNU Technology Transfer

Commercial testing and the road ahead

To ensure real-world functionality, M-HUD has been tested on several commercial vessels, including express boats in Trondheim. The system was installed in under an hour and proved easy to integrate with existing navigation systems. Feedback from captains and crews has been very positive, and the project team is now adapting the technology for different vessel types.

“Ease of implementation and positive user feedback are among the most important indicators that this technology could have a major impact on maritime safety. We look forward to licensing the technology and developing it further with industrial partners,” says Jens Nygaard at NTNU Technology Transfer.

NTNU Technology Transfer is now in the process of licensing the technology to an industry partner for further commercialization. With its innovative approach and ability to improve maritime safety, M-HUD has the potential to become a standard solution for future maritime operations.

M-HUD represents a significant step toward a safer and more efficient maritime industry. By enhancing situational awareness and reducing the risk of human error, this technology can help prevent serious accidents at sea.

Ole Andreas Alsos, NTNU Shore Control Lab

MIDAS – Humans in future ocean operations

MIDAS is a capacity-building initiative exploring the role of humans in future maritime operations, where autonomy and automation play an increasingly central role.

The project brings together partners in technology, design, and business development, including academia, research institutions, and industry. NTNU contributes across all these areas through interdisciplinary involvement, while SINTEF Digital provides expertise in human factors and digitalization. DNV adds deep experience from classification and certification, and the clusters Digital Norway, Ocean Autonomy Cluster, and Blue Maritime Cluster represent over 150 companies in maritime technology and digital transformation.

MIDAS aims to strengthen the innovation capacity of key Norwegian players, foster development and export of maritime autonomy technologies, and ultimately enhance safety and efficiency in future ocean operations.

NTNU TTO

NTNU Technology Transfer Office - TTO is NTNU’s unit for the commercialization of research and innovation. NTNU TTO supports researchers and entrepreneurs in developing and commercializing new technologies by assisting with patenting, business development, funding, and startup formation.

The goal is to ensure that research from NTNU and its partners results in products and services that benefit society.

Want to know more?

Jens Nygaard
NTNU Technology Transfer
📧 Jens.f.nygaard@ntnu.no
📞 +47 942 00 844

Ole Andreas Alsos
Head of Shore Control Lab / Professor of Interaction Design
NTNU Department of Design
📧 oleanda@ntnu.no
📞 +47 915 44 825

Jon Bernhard Høstmark
Engineering Manager Systems Design and Integration
Kongsberg Automotive
📧 jon.b.hostmark@ntnu.no
📞+47 913 41 809

Maritime Head-Up Display presentation