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Tocaro Blue has launched ApolloCore, a machine-learning software designed to “turbocharge” commercial off-the-shelf PTZ cameras into high-performance perception systems for maritime applications.
The solution enables standard marine cameras to operate closer to military-grade capability, improving detection and classification of objects at sea—particularly for uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) and advanced autonomy stacks.
ApolloCore builds on the company’s existing radar-processing platform, ProteusCore, and is designed to complement radar by addressing its inherent limitations, such as horizon constraints and difficulty detecting small or low-profile targets in cluttered sea states.
By combining camera-based perception with radar data, the system contributes to a more robust, multi-sensor situational awareness layer—an essential component for safe and scalable maritime autonomy.
Pictured: Flir camera and ApolloCore Configuration App Development Tool
From radar intelligence to full perception stacks
Tocaro Blue has positioned itself around enhancing “perception” for vessels by upgrading existing hardware through software. Its core platform, ProteusCore, applies machine learning to standard marine radar, enabling real-time detection, classification, and tracking of surrounding objects.
This approach allows operators and autonomous systems to extract significantly more value from cost-effective, off-the-shelf sensors—reducing reliance on expensive proprietary hardware while improving operational awareness.
The addition of ApolloCore extends this philosophy to optical systems, strengthening the case for sensor fusion between radar and vision to improve reliability, range, and target validation.
ApolloCore dletects 15 object classes: 8 COLREGS-compliant vessel types, 2 marker classes, and 4 specialized classes including persons and debris
Strengthening autonomy through sensor fusion
The launch reflects a broader industry shift toward combining multiple sensor modalities, radar, cameras, and increasingly other data sources, to overcome individual weaknesses and deliver consistent performance across varying maritime conditions.
Radar provides robustness and long-range detection, while cameras offer higher-resolution classification and visual confirmation. Together, they form a more complete perception layer for autonomous navigation, surveillance, and defense applications.
About Tocaro Blue and Ocean Autonomy Cluster
Tocaro Blue is a US-based technology company developing AI-driven software that enhances marine sensors, particularly for autonomous and uncrewed vessels. Founded in 2019, the company focuses on transforming commercial off-the-shelf systems into advanced perception tools using machine learning.
Tocaro Blue is also a member of the Ocean Autonomy Cluster, contributing to the cluster’s ecosystem of companies advancing autonomous ocean technologies. Through its work on scalable, software-defined perception systems, the company plays a role in accelerating the development of safer and more capable autonomous maritime operations.
With ApolloCore, Tocaro Blue continues to push toward a software-defined perception layer—bringing the industry closer to fully autonomous, sensor-rich vessels operating reliably in complex real-world environments.