<img alt="" src="https://secure.intelligentdatawisdom.com/782514.png" style="display:none;">
Skip to content
video_thumb_2000x896

Frequently asked questions

Regularly updated with your feedback

 

To help you get started, we've tried to answer any questions you may have. Is your question not listed? Please contact us!

General Questions

Why do I need Seagull?

Seagull makes you see what you’re missing. Conventional vessel detection systems such as AIS and radar have blindspots when it comes to the detection of pleasure craft or ships that wish to evade detection. Using Seagull to analyze camera footage and register all vessel traffic continuously can help to fill these blind spots.

How does Seagull work? Seagull analyses your camera’s video footage with AI to detect and register vessel traffic in the camera frame. The vessel traffic and information on its passage are registered in the logbook. Based on several metrics, customizable alerts can be set for situations that require an operator’s attention. Trends in the registered traffic are displayed in graphs on the dashboard.
Who should use Seagull? Anyone who wishes to monitor vessel traffic passing through a specific area on the water and receive alerts based on this activity should use Seagull.
What differentiates Seagull from other surveillance solutions? Since Seagull is specifically made to monitor vessels, it can differentiate many vessel types. Thus, providing more detailed information regarding the vessel traffic passing through the area.
How many people in my organization can use Seagull? There is no limit to the number of users you can give access to your organization’s Seagull instance.
Which cameras does Seagull support? Seagull supports any IP camera that sends out a stream, such as a Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) stream. Preferably, the camera has night vision with infrared technology to ensure Seagull’s vision at night. If you’d like to check whether your camera system is suitable to connect Seagull, please reach out to us at info@seagullsurveillance.com.
Why would I use Seagull next to radar and AIS? Analyzing camera footage with Seagull can serve as an additional sensor input and can complement your existing radar and AIS systems. By automatically registering all vessel traffic, Seagull finds the vessels that can be missed by other systems, such as pleasure craft and vessels that have turned off their AIS.
What if I don’t have a camera? If you do not yet have a camera but wish to start using Seagull, we can help advise you on which camera to purchase. Please reach out to info@seagullsurveillance.com for support.
What connection is required for my camera? To connect your camera to Seagull’s cloud application, the camera stream should be accessible over the internet. All IP cameras send out a stream, such as a Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) stream, which can be registered in Seagull. Therefore, a good and stable internet connection is required.
What is meant by criminal activity? Criminal activity in waterways can include smuggling drugs, dumping illegal waste, and human trafficking.
Is Seagull only meant for harbors? No, Seagull can be used to monitor vessel traffic in any area on the water. Such areas include coastlines, bridges, canals, rivers, and locks.
Can we get a demo first? Absolutely! Please go to this link to schedule your demo.
Who can I contact for further questions about Seagull? To get in touch with someone on the Seagull team, please schedule a meeting, or fill out this contact form.
Does Seagull replace my existing security system? No, Seagull is not meant to replace security systems. Seagull can be used as an addition to existing security systems to generate specific alerts.
Can I use Seagull for further investigation of illegal activity? The information Seagull registers in the logbook can be used to investigate suspicious situations further. Seagull stores an image of each vessel that passes by, which can be used to identify the vessel further. Next to that, the timestamp of the registration can be used to find the video fragment of the vessel in your Video Management System.
What’s the relationship between BrainCreators and Seagull? SEAGULL is a Digital Inspector created by BrainCreators. BrainCreators is Europe’s leading specialist in digital inspectors, deployable for the automatic inspection of spaces, objects, and surfaces.

Privacy & Security

Which data does Seagull store?

Seagull stores three types of data:

  1. Organization data such as company details and preferences
  2. User data
  3. Logbook data such as anonymized images and vessel registration information 
Images will be deleted after a 28-day period. Other logbook information will be stored until account deletion to enable management reports and trend analysis over longer periods.
How is my data managed? Data captured by Seagull is stored on AWS, only accessible to the users of your organization and Seagull. Regular backups ensure the availability of the data. In case you stop using Seagull, the data belonging to your organization will be deleted.
How can I protect my camera streams?

There are multiple options to protect camera streams that we support:

  1. You can whitelist the IP address of the Seagull app to allow it to access the camera streams. This ensures that other applications without whitelisted IP addresses won’t have access to the camera streams.
  2. A VPN connection can be set up if you wish to protect your camera streams further. Please reach out to our customer support at support@seagullsurveillance.com for more information so we can arrange a discussion between our network engineer and your IT department.
Does Seagull comply with GDPR? Since Seagull classifies rather than identifies vessels, it does not store personal data. In the stored images of vessels, any visible people will be anonymized by blurring their heads. The stored images are removed from the database after 28 days to comply with GDPR.

Getting started

How do I install Seagull?

Since Seagull is a cloud application, installing Seagull on your computer is not required. To open Seagull, open your browser and navigate to: yourorganization.seagullsurveillance.com. You can now log in and start setting up Seagull.

How do I connect my cameras to Seagull? Seagull supports any IP camera that sends out a stream, such as a Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) stream. To set up a camera, simply enter the RTSP streaming link on the camera setup page and give the camera a name. The next step is to calibrate the cameras.
How do I calibrate my camera?

In order to be able to do speed measurements of passing vessels and combine data of multiple cameras into a unique logbook, Seagull requires to know the GPS coordinates of the field of view of the camera. To calibrate the camera, we ask you to:

  1. Match points in the camera frame with points on the map.
  2. Draw a line through the entire width of the entry or exit of the area.
  3. Indicate the direction.
How can I manage my users? When logged in to your Seagull account, click on the person icon next to your name in the top right corner, and navigate to Users.

Here, you will be able to:
  1. Add or remove users
  2. Assign user roles

Subscriptions

How do I sign up for Seagull?

To sign up for Seagull:

  1. Fill out the subscription form (link) to get your subscription directly. Our financial department will get in touch and send you an invoice.
  2. Get in touch with our sales department (here) if you’d like to discuss the options before signing up. 
After your sign-up is completed, you will receive an email with your login information.
What are the payment options?

You can pay for your subscription by invoice, either monthly or annually. When you choose the yearly payment option a discount will be applied. You will receive an invoice through email with a 14-day payment term.

How do I cancel or change my subscription?

For cancellations or changes to your subscription, please contact us via invoices@seagullsurveillance.com. You may cancel at any time with a 30-day notice. A cancellation does not prohibit you from subscribing again in the future.

How can I renew my subscription? Your subscription will be automatically renewed monthly or annually, depending on your chosen payment scheme.
How many cameras can I connect to Seagull? It is possible to connect up to five cameras to Seagull simultaneously. If you wish to connect more cameras, please get in touch with our support team.

The Product

How does Seagull integrate with other systems?

Seagull can currently be integrated with other systems through its API. Of course, we’re open to discussing options in special cases. For more information, please reach out to our support department at support@seagullsurveillance.com.

Which vessel types does Seagull recognize?

Seagull is currently able to detect 20 different vessel types, split into seven vessel categories. We continuously update Seagull’s vessel detection capabilities and will therefore keep expanding this taxonomy.

The following vessel types are supported:

- Cargo vessels
- Tankers
- Passenger vessels
  - Ferry
  - Cruise ship
- High-speed craft
  - Fast ferry
- Tugs and special craft
  - Military
  - Offshore
  - Patrol vessel
  - Tug
  - Supply tender
- Fishing vessel
- Pleasure craft
- Sailing vessels
  - Tall ships
  - Sailing boat
  - Sailing yacht
- Motor vessels
  - Superyacht
  - Motorboat
  - Motor yacht
  - RIB
  - Jet ski
- Rowing boat

How does Seagull use AI technology to recognize vessels?

To recognize vessels, Seagull analyses camera footage with machine learning. By providing a large number of examples of each vessel type, Seagull has learned to find patterns in the characteristics of each vessel type, such as shape, color, size, and other visual identifiers. Over time, Seagull has learned to recognize these vessel types in the new camera footage.

How do I know that the logbook provides unique data?

If you have connected more than one camera to Seagull, the logbook information of both cameras will be combined in the Main overview. Through GPS-based multi-camera tracking, vessels can be followed through multiple cameras, which ensures that the Main overview only displays each vessel once.

How does Seagull handle weather conditions?

As a rule of thumb, it can be said that if a human is able to recognize a vessel in the camera footage, Seagull will be able to do so too.

Seagull can’t see what isn’t visible. When the view of a camera is completely blocked by mist, heavy rain, or snow, Seagull will not be able to recognize vessels.

With that being said, Seagull is able to handle most rainy or misty conditions (see example).

How does Seagull handle vessel detection during the night? Through training, Seagull is capable of detecting vessels during the night if some form of lighting is available. This can be light on the quay, but preferably, the camera has night vision with infrared technology.
How accurate is the speed measurement Seagull offers?

The vessel speed that Seagull measures is meant to serve as an indication of relative speed throughout the area, which can be used for alerts. The speed measurement is highly dependent on the accuracy of the GPS calibration of the camera, which can cause inaccurate measurements. Therefore, the measurement is not meant to be used for law enforcement purposes.

How does Seagull alert me?

Seagull allows users to set the conditions they wish to receive alerts. Currently, these conditions are:

- The time of registration
- The speed of the vessel

A sound will play in the browser to alert the operator for every new registration that matches the criteria.

Which insights does Seagull offer? Seagull provides insight into all vessel traffic that has passed the camera's field of view. These insights are captured in the following:

- A report
- A total count graph
- A trends graph
Can I export my data? The data captured by Seagull can be exported in two ways:
  1. The content of the logbook can be downloaded as .csv file.
  2. The images belonging to registrations can be downloaded in .jpg format.