Kongsberg Maritime has received a contract from UiT, The Arctic University of Norway, to deliver significant upgrades and extensions to the bridge simulators of its existing ship.
Under the contract, Kongsberg will extend the simulator’s functionalities with a new six-degree-of-freedom motion platform, additional visual channels and integration with a DNV class-A dynamic positioning simulator.
The contract is part of the university’s long-term service support programme with the company and comes in the wake of an increasing focus on the Arctic within the offshore and shipping industries.
UiT will use the upgraded simulators to offer its students and external partners a wide range of courses covering navigation, dynamic positioning training and ship manoeuvring.
The focus areas of the courses will include ice-navigation, ice-management, emergency, search and rescue, and operations in the Arctic and harsh environments.
UiT lecturer Bjørn Batalden said: “The simulator upgrade will contribute to raise the quality of seafarers educated at UiT and, in addition, strengthen our position within advanced studies in human factors and the maritime and polar environment.”
The extended functionalities will help meet demands for advanced training for ship owners, oil and gas companies and organisations operating, exploring and developing in northern Norway and Arctic waters, according to Kongsberg.
Additionally, the system will be used for studies related to maritime operations such as human factors, fatigue studies, subsea research and seamanship / organisation development, including ice-management studies.
The modernised and extended simulators will be housed in a new specially designed technology building of the university.
Image: An artist’s impression of the six-degree-of-freedom motion platform and visual system. Photo: courtesy of Kongsberg Maritime AS.
