The sea means freedom, adventure, passion. But it's also an environment that leaves no room for improvisation — especially when it comes to health. A sudden illness, an injury, a critical situation on board: on land, it takes just a few minutes to reach an emergency room. At sea, those minutes can stretch into hours — and every hour counts.
This awareness is what drives Mermaid, the project we are building with conviction: a digital telemedicine and maritime health safety platform designed for everyone who sails, whether for pleasure or for work. A system that combines artificial intelligence, wearable medical devices, and satellite communications to bring the expertise of a qualified medical center on board every vessel.
"The sea doesn't forgive improvisation. Mermaid restores safety, expertise, and readiness to every crew."
The problem Mermaid solves
Anyone who sails knows it: beyond coastal waters, the distance from a port with medical facilities can be enormous. Cuts, burns, acute pain, allergic reactions — situations handled in minutes on land become complex emergencies at sea, made worse by the lack of trained personnel or proper tools to assess their severity.
For merchant vessels, the situation is even more critical: a medical emergency can force a route deviation, driving enormous costs for the shipowner and response times that are not always compatible with the gravity of the case. ILO/IMO recommendations on crew health and welfare are clear, but often difficult to implement in a concrete and ongoing way.
Mermaid is built to fill this gap, turning every vessel into a connected health protection unit — always ready, always online, anywhere in the Mediterranean and beyond.
How the platform works
Mermaid is an integrated ecosystem that operates as a medical-digital bridge between those at sea and an onshore health support center, active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The architecture is designed to function even without connectivity, thanks to informational resources available locally on the device.
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Digital app
Available on tablet and smartphone, with first-response protocols, guided AI algorithms, and access to a multilingual first-aid manual.
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Cloud platform
Secure data transmission and communication management with the onshore station. End-to-end encryption and GDPR/HIPAA compliance.
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Wearable devices
Smartwatches and medical sensors for real-time monitoring of ECG, SpO₂, temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate.
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Satellite connectivity
Coastal 4G/5G networks, Starlink for offshore operations, and automatic backup: connectivity is guaranteed even in the most critical conditions.
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24/7 medical center
Available on tablet and smartphone, with first-response protocols, guided AI algorithms, and access to a multilingual first-aid manual.
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Operational management
Geolocated interface with maps, sea-weather conditions, and nearby medically-equipped ports, to support every operational decision in real time.
Base and Premium: a service built for you
Mermaid is available in two configurations, designed to meet different needs - from the small recreational vessel to the professional merchant ship.
Base · Free
Immediate safety, always with you
- Multilingual first-aid manual
- Offline self-assessment guide with color-coded triage
- Red Emergency button
- High-accessibility display
- Device data visualization
Premium · Subscription
Professional medical assistance, around the clock
- Remote video assistance with qualified healthcare staff
- Advanced AI support + phone consultation
- QR sticker authentication
- TMAS and HL7/FHIR interoperability
- Encrypted transmission, GDPR compliant
Every medical event managed through Mermaid generates a complete digital record, including vital signs, GPS coordinates, responder notes, and scene images — valuable for insurance purposes, training, and continuous system improvement.
AI that assists without replacing the physician
Mermaid's AI operates on two levels, in a transparent and explainable way: on board, it supports triage and guides the first responder step by step; onshore, it processes incoming data, tracks clinical trends, and flags priority situations to medical staff. In no case does it make autonomous clinical judgments: the physician remains at the center of every decision.
Who can use Mermaid - and how
The platform is designed for a broad ecosystem: recreational boaters and sailors who navigate independently, crews of merchant and working vessels, nautical insurance companies, brokers, and maritime agencies in major leisure ports. Access is available through a direct subscription, through a network of affiliated partners, or as an extension of an existing insurance policy.
The model is scalable and modular: integrable with major operating systems and wearable devices, compliant with international regulations (ILO/IMO), and built to evolve toward personal and collective digital health in the maritime sector.
In an emergency, the onshore operator can guide an intervention on board in real time, support communication with affiliated medical centers, assist in diverting the vessel to the nearest port, and — in the most serious cases — coordinate the activation of SAR services or an emergency evacuation.
"Every vessel becomes a connected unit of wellness and health protection — always ready, always online."
A project with a long-range view
Mermaid is more than a product: it is a vision of what maritime health safety should look like in the digital age. A project that has already moved beyond the experimental phase, having tested real emergency scenarios in collaboration with the Italian Naval League and specialized healthcare professionals, and that today positions itself as strategic infrastructure for the modernization of maritime safety — recognized and co-funded under the PNRR and ERDF programs.
We are proud to be part of this project. Because technology only makes sense when it genuinely improves people's lives — and at sea, that technology can literally save them.