Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a communication technology that plays an important role in improving operational safety and efficiency in the shipping industry. AIS allows ships to exchange real-time data on identity, position, speed, and direction, which helps prevent collisions and facilitates maritime traffic management by port authorities. In addition, AIS functions in search and rescue operations by providing accurate information on the location of ships in trouble. In terms of security, AIS allows monitoring of suspicious ships, thus helping in preventing illegal activities in the waters. This study aims to design and develop a prototype AIS receiver based on LoRa, Arduino, and LCD HMI. The LoRa module was chosen because of its ability to transmit data over long distances with low power consumption, which is suitable for the maritime environment. Arduino is used as the main microcontroller to control the system, while the LCD HMI serves as the display interface for the received data. After the hardware and software design was completed, the system was tested through functional testing and performance measurements using a spectrum analyzer to evaluate the strength of the LoRa signal at various distances. The test results show that the AIS receiver is able to receive data well up to 15 meters on land and 13 meters at sea, with a delay of 100 milliseconds. System performance degrades at longer distances due to environmental interference and signal attenuation. These findings provide insight into the effective limits of LoRa communication in maritime applications and can be used as a reference for frequency testing and optimization of LoRa-based long-range communication systems.
