Need for a Smart Autonomous Bilge Management System: A Review

Abstract

The discharge of bilge water from ships, regulated under MARPOL regulations, presentssignificant environmental and operational challenges. Despite stringent regulations, com-pliance remains inconsistent due to economic pressures and the limitations of currentmonitoring technologies, which rely heavily on rudimentary automation that, in turn, de-pends largely on human intervention and interpretation. This paper explores the applica-tion of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in water level managementand related fields, drawing parallels to their potential application in bilge water manage-ment. A novel concept for a Smart Autonomous Bilge Management System (SABIMS)is introduced.