Dutch consortium to set new standards in fast small ship simulator training
New simulator will improve training and cut costs for the operation of small, fast ships in vital roles with the Dutch navy.
A world-leading joint venture between the Marine Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) and the Dutch Ministry of Defence will see the development, within two years, of a new Fast Small Ship Simulator (FSSS) for the training of crews working on high speed boats.
Together with key suppliers Cruden and Tree C Technology, and end-users, the Royal Dutch Naval Defence School and the Royal Dutch Navy’s Surface Assault Training Group, the consortium aims to deliver a whole raft of training and cost improvements.
Fast small ships play a vital role in all modern defence strategies, allowing a swift and flexible response to everything from illegal immigration and drug smuggling to fisheries protection and piracy. However, crew training is currently expensive, time consuming, weather dependant and tough on instructors, who face up to a 1,000 hours per year at sea and slamming accelerations of up to 9 g!
The FSSS project is unique in its high degree of technological innovation as it is the first in the world to integrate advanced manoeuvre- and seagoing simulation technology, the latest motion cueing algorithms and state-of-the-art visualisation of both the marine environment and ‘at sea’ conditions.
The simulator will reduce wear and tear on front-line operational vessels and a sharp reduction in fuel costs, while also opening up the possibility of co-ordinated training with other marine simulators such as the Ship Handling Simulator system.
The technology partners working with MARIN in this demanding specification are Cruden, the leading designer and manufacturer of interactive, motion-based driving and racing simulators and Tree C Technology which provides real-time simulators for the offshore and remote handling industry.
Cruden CEO, Maarten van Donselaar said: “We are delighted to be part of this consortium and to transferring simulation technology and know-how from the automotive and motorsport industries to the marine sector. A hydrodynamics-focused simulator, using detailed modelling and motion cueing techniques as well as professional image generation, is the next frontier for realistic and accurate training in fast boat handling, safety and navigation. We recently announced our entry into the high speed boat simulator sector, a project which has progressed rapidly thanks to data gathered from the Dutch military on its fast interceptor vessels and security boats.”
The FSSS simulator will be geared specifically to giving its crew a dynamic nautical setting in which they can perfect all the manoeuvring and navigational skills they might require.
About Marin
MARIN (the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands) is an internationally renowned maritime research institute, conducting research on the basis of numerical simulations, model testing, nautical training and life-size trials. Its recommendations are supported by in-house research and Joint Industry Projects (JIPs). Home base: Wageningen, Netherlands / Website: http://www.marin.nl
About Cruden
Cruden is a world-leading designer and manufacturer of professional, interactive, motion-based driving and racing simulators. Originally part of the Fokker Aircraft Company, its forte is the development of professional-grade simulator technology for the automotive, aerospace, rail and marine industries. Cruden serves the premier levels of international motorsport, global car companies, automotive systems suppliers, universities and research institutes, as well as organisations in other more diverse industries, with the most realistic and accurate professional-grade equipment available. Home base: Amsterdam, Netherlands / Website: http://www.cruden.com
About Tree C Technology
Tree C Technology provides real time simulators for the offshore and remote handling industry, based on proprietary VR4MAX visualization and simulation technology. These high realism hardware-in-the-loop simulators - delivering both in visual and physics performance - are used for engineering, procedure design and validation, and training. Applications throughout the offshore industry, include training for heavy lifting, pipe lay, drilling rig operation, rock dumping, dredging, deep sea mining and the nuclear fusion industry. Home base: Ede, Netherlands / Website: http://www.tree-c.nl
Press Enquiries
Claire Dumbreck, Propel Technology Ltd, Unit 4, Manor Farm Offices, Fenny Compton, Warwickshire, UK, CV47 2YY. +44 (0)1295 770602 / +44 (0) 7768 773857 / claire@propel-technology.com
Tags:
