The system provides 360-degree situational awareness and eliminates blind spots by providing a 360-degree vessel view, “in turn enhancing safety and efficiency, as well as enabling crew on board to make better operational decisions that are based on real-time data”, said Wärtsilä.

SPECS will augment crew situational awareness and enhance the safety and efficiency of its navigation and docking procedures. “Operating a congested route between Cuxhaven in Germany and Immingham in the UK, SELANDIA SEAWAYS was the ideal vessel for the initial deployment of SPECS,” said Wärtsilä.

“The SELANDIA SEAWAYS crew has worked with Wärtsilä Voyage to ensure the SPECS user interface is simple and meets their needs. The crew now benefits from a full overview of the vessel’s position in just one image, allowing for total focus on safety during critical procedures at the start and end of every voyage.”

Mads Bentzen Billesø, head of innovation and partnerships at DFDS, added: “Many of our vessels operate in narrow and con gested waters, where situational awareness and 360-degree vision is crucial.

“Access to a full and high-resolution image of the vessel and its surroundings, as well as exact distances to important objects around the vessel, all in real time, is a very powerful tool. This supports our crew members and captains in making the right operational decisions in even the most challenging situations based on data, improving efficiency and safety.”

SPECS includes cameras, augmented reality and data integration. The vessel was fitted with four robust super-wide cameras, providing 360-degree awareness, including a bird’s eye view, to eliminate blind spots. The SPECS cameras include motion stabilisation, vibration cushioning, and automatic camera cleaning. A calibrated grid provides the exact distance between the vessel and the quayside and other objects in real time, which is especially useful when docking.

To further assist crew, the SPECS augmented reality functionality superimposes navigation data onto the video stream provided by the cameras in real time. “Potential hazards can, therefore, be identified before they become a danger, which gives the crew more time to react and adapt, reducing the risk of accidents,” said Wärtsilä. “The technology also includes a post-voyage incident investigation tool, creating a valuable source of training and enabling lessons to be gathered from real-life events.”

Sasha Heriot, head of product, Assistance Systems at Wärtsilä Voyage, said: “It has been excellent to be able to build such a strong partnership with DFDS. The Wärtsilä Voyage team had a good dialogue with the crew, discussing how to clearly display critical information, making sure the system is easy to use, and ensuring the interface is tailored to seafarers’ specific needs.

“SPECS provides invaluable situational data that can help DFDS with both improving operational safety and efficiency on selandia seaways, as well as with decisions around future technological deployments.”

While SPECS is aimed at supporting the crew and improving vessel operational safety, the use of camera systems could potentially have a major impact on vessel design and cargo loading procedures. Key factors such as the height of cargo stacks are determined based on rules around lineof-sight visibility from the vessel bridge. The use of cameras to improve that visibility could allow more flexible rules in some areas. 

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This complete item is approximately 560 words in length, and appeared in the September 2022 issue of WorldCargo News, on page 14. To access this issue download the PDF here