Annual General Assembly 2005 - Malmö

Section 1

Internet Based Integration of Multiple Shiphandling Simulators: An interim report.

SHI Chaojian, HU Qinyou - Shanghai Maritime University, China

Background

The research team members of the project include: SHI Chaojian, HU Qinyou, HUANG Zhenmin, ZHANG Yi and YU Lili from Shanghai Maritime University; Adam WEINTRIT, Przemyslaw DZUILA and Andrzej BOMBA from Gdynia Maritime University; Chae-Uk SONG from Korea Maritime University; Gyei-Kark PARK from Mokpo National Maritime University.

Due to the high expense and risk for the ship handling practice on a real ship, most MET institutions implement ship-handling (SHS) training.. With the development of the technology in recent years, SHS has been improved greatly on ship handling model and scene image. However, most of the SHSs are standalone facilities and the trainees in the programs usually come from the same country or the same company, which differs from the reality. Navigation is an international activity, and there may be many ships from different countries sailing in the same sea area. Some training institutes having seafarers from different countries or regions trained together as a team, although this method proves to be costly. Integrating SHSs internationally through the Internet is an effective way to solve the problem. On integrated SHSs, cadets and seafarers trained on local SHS can do ship handling and communication practice together with trainees at SHSs in other countries or regions. The integrated training will create a realistic scenario for the trainees and can be performed economically and effectively. The reasons why we need to integrate multiple SHSs internationally are evident:

• To close the gaps between the technical, operational level and methodology between IAMU member universities. It benefits global standardization of simulator training and promotes the exchange and sharing of training experiences.
• To enhance mutual understanding of navigational procedures between cadets and seafarers from different countries. It provides a good platform of intercommunion among cadets with an international background.
• To facilitate communication and Maritime English training. Through the Internet based VHF cadets and seafarers can communicate (using IMO Standard Marine Communication Phrases) in more realistic and diverse situations.
• To extend the application of SHSs. Integrated SHSs provides an excellent training opportunity in virtual twenty-four hour watch-keeping practice for a complete voyage including shift watches. In addition, it is a good supplement to the training on real ships.

Therefore, the internationalization of SHS training will greatly enhance seafarers' technical and operational abilities. The project "Internet Based Integration of Multiple Ship Handling Simulators" NetSHSs in short, focuses on solving technical problems and developing necessary software and hardware for integrating multiple simulators on the Internet. The necessity of integration of multiple SHSs and its application has being discussed at AGA4 of IAMU 2003, Egypt and the project was granted by IAMU in July 2004.

In this project, we design and realize the platform to integrate multiple SHSs, and compose the relative technology standard. We will describe the relevant specifcation for the integration of multiple SHSs, and establish the infrastructure for the integration of multiple SHSs according to the technological specifcation. Standardized guidelines will be provided for the integration of multiple SHSs in IAMU member institutions. A management centre will be set up for managing and coordinating the complete integrated system and a prototype will be built to implement the integration of two or three SHSs from different counties.

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