Stability is not static.
It’s a constantly changing condition.
RollSense™ is Atherton Dynamics’ real-time vessel stability intelligence system, providing continuous, measured insight into actual ship stability during voyages. By observing vessel motion directly, RollSense helps operators identify elevated capsize risk and hazardous roll risk before conditions become irreversible.
Rare Events.
Irreversible Consequences.
Capsize events are statistically rare, but when they occur, the consequences can be extreme:
Total loss of vessel and cargo
Extreme risk to crew
Environmental damage
Staggering salvage / recovery costs
Long-term operational, legal, and reputational impact
For large commercial vessel operators, regulators, and insurers, stability failure is not an operational inconvenience. It is an existential risk.
Traditional approaches rely heavily on assumed conditions. RollSense is designed for the real world where assumptions diverge from reality.
The Limitation of Assumption-Based Stability
Most stability tools depend on inputs that are fixed, estimated, or entered prior to departure. In practice, vessel stability evolves continuously due to many variables.
The challenge is not measuring motion. It is understanding what the vessel’s motion is saying about stability in real time.
Introducing RollSense™
RollSense™ works alongside existing stability calculators with scientifically measured data.
Using a compact onboard processor and rugged mobile interface, RollSense continuously observes vessel motion and applies a patented algorithm to deliver:
- Dynamic Metacentric Height (dGM) derived from actual motion
- Measured Roll Period
- Wave Encounter Period (WEP)
These metrics are used to generate a live stability curve, visualizing righting arm (GZ) against roll amplitude—providing operators with immediate situational awareness of true stability conditions.
Clear Insight.
Actionable Alerts.
RollSense presents stability intelligence through clear, color-coded dashboards and automated alerts:
Normal Conditions: Stability within acceptable margins
Amber Alerts: Elevated risk of insufficient stability or hazardous roll sequence
Red Alerts: Active or imminent insufficient stability or parametric/synchronous roll
Alerts are designed to support informed decision-making—not to overwhelm crews with noise.
Visibility
Beyond the Bridge.
Stability intelligence can be viewed onboard or automatically transmitted via email to shore-based stakeholders, including:
Vessel owners and operators
Cargo owners
Insurers
Regulators and classification societies
This allows shoreside stakeholder visibility into actual—not assumed—stability conditions, in near real time.
Use of the Atherton Dynamics Active Stability Monitoring System was simple and straightforward. Setup was a matter of connecting three cables which took only a few minutes. Operation thereafter was even easier; it only took the push of a few buttons to determine the reaction of the vessels to changes in the loading and changing sea states. I have deployed this system in the Mediterranean, North, and Barents Seas, the Bay of Biscay, the Gulfs of California and Maine and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans on several ships over the course of 2025. This system is the next step in assuring safety at sea.
- Glenn Elliott, USN, Ret.
Built for Large Commercial Vessels
After five years of live trials covering approximately 1,000 underway days, RollSense is currently pursuing a test event to monitor stability on 10+ ships simultaneously. The system is designed to integrate smoothly into existing maritime operations.