What it is
Edge computing means running computation on the ship itself, close to the data source, instead of depending on a connection to the cloud.
Why it matters at sea
Because links are intermittent and costly, processing on the edge enables real-time analytics, compression, prioritisation and offline operation.
Examples
Rugged onboard edge servers with redundancy and backup power keep critical functions running through connectivity outages. Buffering measurements locally also keeps the condition record unbroken across outages, which is exactly what a class-approved condition-based maintenance programme depends on.