How Benchmark Labs and SenseCAP S2120 Weather Station Enhance Offshore Vessel Safety
At the Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT), a bustling hub of activity and strategic operations, weather conditions can shift rapidly. These abrupt changes pose significant challenges for offshore wind power vessels, making accurate forecasts and reliable data critical for ensuring safety and efficiency.
In this article, we explore how Benchmark Labs, leveraging AI and machine learning technology, partners with Seeed Studio’s SenseCAP S2120 Weather Station to provide hyperlocal point specific weather forecasts. Their collaboration enhances offshore vessel safety and supports broader initiatives, including sharing precise weather data with the New York City Economic Development Council to benefit the larger community.
Tackling BAT’s Weather Challenges
As a key logistics hub and offshore wind power vessel base in New York, BAT faces specific weather-related issues:
- Rapid Climate Changes: Sudden fluctuations in wind speed, humidity, and temperature near the coast increase risks for vessel navigation and operations.
- Safety and Scheduling Needs: Offshore wind power activities depend heavily on accurate weather data. Misjudged forecasts can lead to construction delays or even safety incidents.
Traditional forecasting methods often fall short in providing the real-time, hyperlocal precision needed for such scenarios. This is where the combined solution of Benchmark Labs’ technology and the SenseCAP S2120 Weather Station excels.
About Benchmark Labs: AI-Driven Precision
Benchmark Labs specializes in providing location-specific, high-accuracy weather forecasts through dashboards and APIs. Using advanced AI and IoT technologies, the company generates hyperlocal point specific 15 day hourly weather data for industries such as agriculture, energy, and more.
At BAT, Benchmark Labs transforms real-time meteorological data collected by SenseCAP S2120 into actionable weather forecasts on its SaaS platform. The AI platform offers:
- High-Precision Forecasting: It produces 15 day hourly localized forecasts ranging for the specific location of the weather station including temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, and more.
- Data Sharing for Collaboration: Processed weather data is shared with stakeholders like the NYCEDC and offshore wind operators, helping improve broader safety and planning.
This approach goes beyond data collection to enable both real-time responsiveness and long-term decision-making with cutting edge accuracy.
The Role of the SenseCAP S2120 Weather Station
The SenseCAP LoRaWAN S2120 Weather Station is engineered for high performance, even in harsh environments like BAT. Its features include:
- Comprehensive Measurements: As an 8-in-1 station, it tracks critical metrics like air temperature, humidity, wind speed/direction, UV index, rainfall intensity, and barometric pressure.
- Low Maintenance and High Efficiency: With ultra-low power consumption and reliable hardware, it minimizes maintenance needs over long-term deployments.
- Remote Device Updates: Built-in Bluetooth and OTA (Over-the-Air) updates allow remote configuration, eliminating the need for on-site adjustments.
- LoRaWAN Supported: Its long-range wireless communication ensures stable data transfer, even in signal-poor areas.
This weather station collects high-quality data, which Benchmark Labs’ platform combines with data from larger forecasting models, such as those from the National Weather Service and IBM, for enhanced accuracy.
A Powerful Collaboration: AI Meets Advanced Sensors
At BAT, the SenseCAP weather station and Benchmark Labs’ platform create a seamless ecosystem for hyperlocal forecasting. The process involves:
- Data collection by the SenseCAP weather station.
- Transmission of raw data via LoRaWAN to a SenseCAP Outdoor Gateway, which relays it to the Benchmark Labs cloud system (hosted on AWS).
- Integration of this data with National Weather Service and private models using AI-powered machine learning to refine localized predictions. Each weather station receives its own forecast.
Each weather sensor receives its own weather forecast. Benchmark Labs is hardware agnostic.
This synergy enables offshore wind power operators to:
- Schedule personnel transfers to turbines during optimal weather conditions.
- Mitigate risks arising from extreme winds or waves.
- Adjust operations based on precise precipitation and fog forecasts.
Beyond supporting offshore operations, Benchmark Labs provides vital weather information for NYCEDC. Accurate data on wind conditions, air pressure, and visibility improves various users of the port and reduces risks in maritime environments.
How the AI Platform Operates
Benchmark Labs’ solution excels in location-specific weather forecasting. By integrating weather data collected from hardware devices into their cloud platform, it delivers precise point specific weather forecasts. This functionality supports informed weather-related decision-making and promotes safety.
Through the Benchmark Labs dashboard, users can access detailed forecast data. For instance, our SenseCAP S700 V2 7-in-1 Compact Weather Sensor, situated on the balcony of Seeed’s office, displays all data points in an easy-to-interpret chart format on the dashboard, facilitating seamless observation and analysis. The data is also available through API for advanced users.
Benchmark Labs also provides various forecast options tailored to different timeframes (1 day, 3-day, 5-day, 7-day, and 10-day), enabling users to plan for both immediate needs and future scenarios.
In addition, specialized tools like BurnCast, FarmCast, and WaveCast address specific use cases such as wildfire prevention, agricultural meteorology, and marine meteorology, delivering targeted solutions for diverse industries.
Innovation Backed by Strong Partnerships
New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) played a pivotal role in this initiative, providing space for Benchmark Labs to test and showcase its technology. The results have been remarkable, with forecast accuracy improving by up to 85% in certain locations compared to traditional methods.
NYCEDC Vice President of Renewable Energy Industry Development, Sam Jung, highlighted the importance of this innovation:“Benchmark Labs is revolutionizing how we approach weather forecasting for smart cities and maritime industries. Their cutting-edge technology provides point specific real-time insights that enhance safety, efficiency, and sustainability for New York City’s bustling ports and offshore wind developments together with Seeed Studio’s robust weather station – SenseCAP S2120. As we continue to build a resilient, climate-conscious future, Benchmark Labs’ innovation is a critical asset in ensuring our city remains at the forefront of smart infrastructure and maritime excellence.”
A Vision for Safer and Smarter Operations
This collaboration between Benchmark Labs and the SenseCAP S2120 Weather Station demonstrates the power of combining advanced hardware with AI-driven analytics. The result is a robust, sustainable solution addressing the unique challenges of operations whether the activity is preventing a wildfire, predicting high waves, or protecting the crops from frost.
Ready to revolutionize weather forecasting? Seeed Studio’s versatile weather stations, combined with Benchmark Labs’ advanced platform, deliver hyperlocal, point-specific forecasts designed to boost efficiency, safety, and sustainability across industries.
Want to see it in action? Contact Benchmark labs via info[at]benchmarklabs[dot]com or request a demo here to explore the possibilities!
Last but Not Least
Exciting news: Seeed Studio and Benchmark Labs are hosting a live webinar this May, 2025 to showcase this innovative solution in greater detail. Stay tuned—we can’t wait to share it with you!
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