A new era for maritime operations requires a focus on safety and the use of technology to train a new generation of seafarers, writes Ioannis Armenakis, ABS Academy Manager, ABS Athens.
The shipping industry is on a course towards a multi-dimensional world; where new fuels, technology and data must unite to create hybrid solutions required to achieve targets for net zero carbon emissions.
The transition to new fuels and technologies must be undertaken with safety as a central condition. This means ensuring that alter- native fuels and propulsion systems are inherently safe, that safety protocols are adapted accordingly, and that seafarers are adequately trained to handle these advances.
Safety is not an impediment; rather, it serves as a catalyst for innovation. The pursuit of safer operations often leads to the development of new technologies and processes, which can contribute to decarbonization goals. For instance, advances in energy efficiency and vessel optimization can reduce emissions and enhance safety by minimizing the risk of accidents.
The future of safe and decarbonized shipping lies in a holistic, multidimensional approach to training and skills. Rather than rely on implicit assumptions and prescriptive rules, the industry must adopt
a more explicit and systems-oriented approach to safety.
The result will be a shift toward goal-based approaches over prescriptive measures, a change amplified by real-time data enabled by sensors. This future will be more people-driven, emphasizing collaboration and shared responsibility.
Training for a net zero industry
The process of decarbonization creates safety issues that need to be addressed. One of the most important safety issues is the familiarization of the crew with new and emerging fuels and technology. For example, the industry has well-established experience in handling ammonia as cargo, but not as fuel, so there is a need for training, education and guidance that enables this to be done safely. ABS has begun to address this challenge through the utilization of simulation technology, which we developed in our global centre in Singapore. Simulation technologies are helping to create scenarios and conditions that mirror the realities of the onboard ship experience. This allows us to offer exceptional training experiences, using multiple simulations to replicate real-world onboard conditions.
ABS MetaSHIPs powered by Orka are one-of-a-kind highly realistic virtual assets. Built to scale from vessel drawings, they take users on virtual field trips - providing a powerful, immersive learning experience in a simulated training environment. Before boarding an ABS MetaSHIP, users will select their vessel and survey type.
Users may also select the vessel age to represent vessel conditions more accurately, such as the level of corrosion of a vessel. Once onboard, virtual users put their theoretical and practical training to the test. The MetaSHIP experience is highly engaging, so users interact with the vessel throughout the training –inspecting equipment, taking photographs, viewing certificates, documenting survey notes, and much more.
MetaSHIPs makes it possible for seafarers to spend several hours on the deck plate of a vessel before even so much as setting foot on the gangway.
The flexibility of MetaSHIP extends beyond its immersive experience, allowing its integration into different training environments. Whether in a classroom setting equipped with LED volumes for a shared immersive learning experience, above-average laptops for personal training sessions, or on personal PCs, MetaSHIP ensures accessibility for seafarers at various levels.
The adaptability of MetaSHIP goes even further, seamlessly integrating with virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) platforms. This means that users can choose
the version that best suits their training requirements, whether it’s
a fully immersive VR experience, an interactive AR session, or a collaborative MR environment. This versatility enables a tailored approach to training, accommodating different skill levels and learning preferences.
The need for new skillsets
When we think of the new skills and competencies required for safety onboard the next generation of vessels, it is clear that tomorrow’s seafarer is going to have to be more technology-savvy than in previous years.
Quite apart from the array of challenges associated with handling and bunkering the new fuels, they will need literacy in the emerging digital and autonomous ecosystems as well as an entirely new safety mindset, which understands cyber threats, in addition to traditional physical dangers.
The industry will need to invest in training and development to ensure that these skills are effectively developed. This requires a coordinated approach, involving industry, regulators, and training providers, to ensure that seafarers are adequately prepared for the challenges ahead.
ABS is playing its part, pioneering new immersive learning techniques for the benefit of our employees and our clients. Today that means including virtual and augmented reality in our programs. Simulated environments using Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) equipment make it possible for users to immerse themselves in whatever world we design for them, such as walking around and interacting with a ship.
New technologies for training
AR enhances real world environments, overlaying digital information such as schematics or navigational information onto physical
objects. To achieve this, cameras, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and depth sensors continuously monitor the environment to answer questions about position, environment and risk.
The data collection and processing happen near-simultaneously as a digital overlay is projected to the user. Augmented reality head- sets provide constant real-time information to crewmembers freeing them from computer screens and mobile devices.
VR, on the other hand, immerses users completely into a virtual world. Computer games in VR are common today. This is ideal to provide a scalable, low-cost solution simulating environments for training purposes. The ABS MetaSHIP environment and its ability to be reconfigured digitally makes it a great training tool.
Today, advances in spatial information capture with tools like 3D scanning or 360-degree cameras enhance the more traditional Computer-Aided Design or gaming object libraries to build even more realistic VR experiences. This allows for more realistic train- ing scenarios than navigating 3D models, though perhaps with less ability to customize them.
VR and AR are well-developed technologies, but they have room
to grow. They both can be used with wearables like head-mounted displays or standard hand-held devices like tablets, laptops, or smartphones.
AR, VR and mixed reality (MR) can enhance decision-making by allowing users to interact with and relate to an asset they are view- ing. These technologies have the potential to help reduce cognitive load by providing users with visuals that support understanding and provide context.
This type of technology can be used both on and off the asset or vessel in a collaborative fashion, giving shore teams and mariners in training the ability to communicate and collaborate in ways that were previously impossible.
* ABS Academy Manager, ABS Athens