Data, digitalisation, and connectivity are three of the most used buzzwords in the maritime industry, and for good reason. They are playing a critical role in facilitating ship operations. Ships are starting to be viewed as floating offices and remote homes as they use high-level bandwidth capacity to function as seamlessly as if they were on land. As a result, ships today are reliant on greater data and collaborative and always-on software.
To complete the voyage safely and efficiently, a vessel relies on numerous technologies and digital solutions. Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) and Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are helping the captain and crew plan, adjust, and navigate a safe passage. Sensors that monitor the performance of the vessel and its equipment rely on the Internet of Things (IoT) to transfer data to the bridge and to shoreside teams. The bridge team is looking at the user interface (UI) of a piece of software that indicates how well the ship is performing and why. If the fuel performance is low, the crew will be alerted and adjust the voyage path or operation of the ship to combat this.
Continuous and remote monitoring of the ship and its equipment helps to alert the crew to equipment that requires attention, minimising the likelihood of it underperforming or, worse, failing. This also helps to minimise excessive fuel consumption. Other technologies, such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), are combined with artificial intelligence (AI) to connect shore-based engineers with the onboard crew to diagnose machinery issues and deliver support to the crew to fix them.
Thetius asked shipowners, operators, managers and seafarers about their current and anticipated future use of digital technologies. We wanted to find out how this is changing as vessels become more like floating offices. When it comes to AI, VR, and AR, most said they believe such technologies play a beneficial role, with statements such as, “AI has a better chance of analysing the data and finding the problems associated with the engines and other working components”.
Cloud-based programs store and manage vast amounts of data. Traditional paper-based methods are still used, but less frequently, as automated data input, sharing, and transfer facilitate ship performance transparency among multiple stakeholders. Below deck, seafarers browse the Internet, listen to podcasts and music, and communicate with family and friends back home. Thanks to online video streaming services, they might also train from the comfort of their cabins.
Unwell or injured crew members can access medical care almost as easily as they would on shore. Thanks to the connectivity onboard the vessel, those at sea can connect with doctors on land in an instant rather than having to wait until the ship docks. This technology is known as telemedicine and is already proving critical in saving lives at sea.
Despite the unique environment in which the vessel operates, it’s clear that its day-to-day operations require modern digital tools and technologies in much the same way a land-based office does. Onshore offices use digital tools to handle documents, share data and information to facilitate collaborative working and manage the performance of staff and operations. At sea, it’s increasingly becoming the same. This is the ‘floating office’ concept.
For a more detailed insight and understanding of the topics briefly discussed in this article, please refer to our thought leadership report commissioned in partnership with Inmarsat, The Digital Wave. To find out more download your copy of the full report here.
