Applications - Training Systems

Simulation is a widely accepted training aid in many industries, notably aerospace, and the naval and marine sectors are no exception. The cost of a simulator is a fraction of the cost of the real vessel, and allows maneuvers to be carried out in a controlled environment and in complete safety. Emergency situations can be simulated in complete safety, allowing various maneuvers may be tried out so as to give students a thorough understanding of the consequences of different courses of action. Simulation may be used for training, mission rehearsal, evaluation, briefing and debriefing.

Of course, ultimately any student, whether a naval officer or AUV operator, needs training and experience on real vessels, but, given pre-training using a ship simulator or AUV simulator, the student can be better prepared for a sea training exercise and will benefit accordingly.

Helmsman Training System

H Scientific supplied the Helmsman Training Simulator at the School of Seamanship, HMS Raleigh, Plymouth. This is used for training up to Special Sea Duty Helmsman standard on several types of vessel. The installation at HMS Raleigh provides 2 instructor and 11 student workstations; 5 of the student workstations are dual display, high fidelity stations, while the other 6 are single display units.

Helmsman Trainer Installation at HMS Raleigh

For more information, see Products - Helmsman Trainer or use the Inquiries form..

Radio Communications Trainer

H Scientific supplied the Radio Communications Trainer at HMS Collingwood.

For more information, see Products - RTQ use the Inquiries form.

Radio Trainer

Blind pilotage system

H Scientific developed and installed the Blind Pilotage Training Facility at the Submarine Training School, HMS Dolphin, Plymouth. The Blind pilotage system tests the ability of students to navigate only using bridge instruments with no external or plan view showing the vessel position and is essential in training submariners. The instruments include radar displays, speed, heading, depth, and position on electronic chart. The instructors console may be remotely sited, and equipped with CCTV and audio monitoring as well as indicators showing the state of the bridge instruments. The instructors console provides a facility for setting up and interactively controlling the training environment including other ships, sea state, and equipment malfunctions.

H Scientific formed a strategic alliance with Simutech Electronics Ltd to combine the dynamic ship simulation with Simutech's high quality radar stimulators and simulators to create a highly realistic blind pilotage training environment. Simutech Electronics supply PC-based systems which recreate the radar signals as would normally be obtained from the radar antenna, and these are connected directly to a real radar console. Using this approach, the student is presented with real equipment and the 'look and feel' of the ship system is guaranteed. Alternatively, Simutech can supply a complete radar simulator on a PC. Ship Sim communicates with the radar simulators, sending information about the own-ship position and speed as well as roll, pitch and heading and rate of turn. Target vessels and environmental information is also sent, allowing the radar to maintain a picture of the as would be seen in the real world. Other instruments such as heading, speed, position repeaters are also provided. These are typically provided using real marine displays or by means of additional PC monitors. Electronic charting is also available, both for the students and for the instructor. In this facility, Ship Sim may be controlled by mouse clicks and PC keyboard, or optionally by means of a hardware console with levers and helm. An autopilot is included as standard, and the instructor is able to manipulate the exercise by injecting target vessels and challenge the students with engine or instrument failures.

For more information, see Products - Blind Pilotage or use the Inquiries form

Full-bridge simulator

The largest and most complex simulators are the full-bridge simulators which replicate as fully as possible the experience of taking control of a vessel, with space for several personnel and offering a simulated view of the outside view, usually on a projected screen which surrounds the bridge area. These systems allow simultaneous simulation of several ships, so that the crew under training may be subjected to exercises involving collision avoidance as well as tug-boat operations, towing, joining and formation exercises, replenishment-at-sea (RAS) and berthing.

The screen image opposite was obtained during a collaborative project using Ship Sim to create a Full Bridge Simulator. The system could optionally be mounted on a full 6 DOF motion platform to reproduce in full the difficulties and stress of the operating environment, to test the team's ability to perform under duress.

AUV / ROV Mission Planning and Operator Training

AUV and ROV missions may involve a range of tasks and may include complicated decision making situations. Using simulation allows a range of scenarios to be played through to test the fundamental mission plan and logic.

Controlling an ROV remotely is a very difficult task, involving 6 DOF vehicle motion, multiple controllers, and the assimilation of a large amount of sensor data. As with the blind pilotage training, AUV Sim can be used to provide operator training for this environment. The operators can be trained to control the ROV manually, or by using the built-in controllers. or by a combination of approaches, for example using automatic roll and depth control with manual control of the speed and direction. If required, a 3D outside view of the AUV/ROV can be provided using the technology developed for Ship Sim II.

For more information, please use the Inquiries form.
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