Research Review on Data Fusion-Based Ship Information Perception Technology

With the development of domestic vessel traffic service (VTS) systems, China has established a comprehensive maritime traffic management infrastructure. Marine sensing equipment, including radar, the automatic identification system (AIS), and electro-optical (EO) systems, provides diverse sources of ship information. In recent years, data fusion technology has attracted increasing attention for its potential to improve the accuracy and completeness of ship perception. This paper introduces key ship information sensing technologies and examines the distinct characteristics of each approach. It then reviews recent advances in three main areas: vision-based ship feature recognition, multi-source data association analysis, and ship motion prediction. Finally, the paper outlines prospective research directions, including the integration of additional data sources, real-time data processing, enhanced data security, and intelligent maritime decision-making.