Tocaro Blue has reported more than 99% track probability for both Small and Medium Contact vessels during an internal J-5 Full Perception “Circles PSA Test”, highlighting the capabilities of its ProteusCore™ machine learning radar processing software for Maritime Uncrewed Surface Vessels (MUSVs).
Tocaro Blue’s 30 ft XO EXPLR acted as the Test Vessel. A 30ft aluminum vessel from Towboat Us was the Medium Contact vessel and a 32ft fiberglass Grady White acted as the Small Contact vessel.
The testing comes as Tocaro Blue clients prepare to submit their US Navy J-5 Test results at the end of September. ProteusCore automatically detects, classifies and tracks radar contacts to enhance perception and situational awareness.
The three-hour test was conducted offshore southwest of Pensacola, Florida, using a Furuno DRS25A-NXT six-foot open-array X-band radar mounted approximately 17 feet above the waterline on a 30-foot XO EXPLR. This was significantly lower than the 30-plus-foot radar height typically expected on an MUSV.
A 32-foot Grady White centre console was used as the Small Contact, while a 30-foot Towboat US aluminium support craft served as the Medium Contact. The test was conducted in Sea State 1 and clear weather, with the test vessel travelling at 25 knots.
ProteusCore achieved a 99.8% track probability for the Medium Contact and 99.9% for the Small Contact using standard tracking configuration rather than settings specifically tuned for the test.
Timelapse of the ProteusCore Configuration App during the J-5 test showing the persistent tracking capabilities of the Furuno Radar + ProteusCore radar processing.
The system also demonstrated its ability to reject sea clutter and radar main bang, avoid tracking low-flying aircraft, and identify additional vessels outside the J-5 scenario. Shoreline features and channel markers added further complexity, while high detection rates were maintained across bearing sectors.
The results demonstrate the potential of ProteusCore to support the perception requirements of MUSVs preparing for J-5 testing and autonomous operations.
