Marico and AFS Consultants Ltd provide VTS training solution
Marico Marine continues to work with AFS Consultants to develop a remote VTS Simulator to fulfil the growing requirement for remote VTS training.
Marico’s team of VTS systems engineers and ex-VTS managers have used industry experience to deliver an innovative and fully realistic VTS Simulator to support AFS Consultants in the delivery of their world-renowned and respected VTS training services.
The key advantages of Marico’s VTS Simulator are:
- Simulated radar and AIS targets to give a realistic VTS traffic image;
- Full simulated VHF and telephone functionality;
- Synchronised recording to support full playback and review of exercises;
- Scenarios can be created for any port in the world; and
- Simulated vessels can run pre-determined routes or can be diverted and operated manually to reflect evolving maritime traffic and emergency situations.
AFS Consultants have a requirement for a simulator that can be deployed remotely and provide students with the most realistic simulated VTS environment possible - including radar / AIS and VHF, and with scenarios that evolve in real time to enable students to react to developing traffic situations as they would in a live environment.
Commenting on developments, Marico Marine’s UK Director, André Cocuccio said:
“I’m delighted we’ve been able to develop such a fully featured solution to support VTS operator training. Collaboration with AFS Consultants has been crucial here and has allowed us to tailor the Simulator to their and their clients’ specific needs. This has not only saved us development time to reach market, but ensures AFS Consultants receive a quality, bespoke system.”
Commenting on Marico’s VTS Simulator, AFS Consultants’ Director, Captain Alan Liversedge said:
“The development of this simulation capability, although previously underway, has been hastened by the travel restrictions placed on us all by COVID.
A realistic simulator that suits AFS Consultants needs exactly has been hard to find and AFS Consultants are happy with the progress Marico have made in the development of theirs. For this simulation to be effective it has been assembled to mimic the situation in actual VTS control centres.
Having used portable simulators both in the UK and overseas for many years, sometimes in my capacity as an IMO VTS expert, I have recognised that the technology and market exists to progress from the physical portable simulators, to remote access VTS simulation.”
Designed to give instructors the capability to ‘look over the student’s shoulder’ and closely replicate the classroom environment, Marico’s VTS Simulator supports recording and full playback for interrogation and debrief capability.
The Simulator supports the use of any VTS front-end software to support client needs and operator familiarisation. In this instance, AFS Consultants and Marico Marine have chosen Wartsila’s Navi-Harbour system.
A fully featured and mobile VTS solution
Marico’s VTS Simulator has been developed to support secondary use-cases in accident and incident investigation, as well as a disaster recovery solution for live VTS operations.
The Simulator can realistically recreate incidents for investigation, provide a replay of events as they took place, as well as provide an opportunity to visualise outcomes should alternative decisions have been made on the lead up to incidents.
The system can also receive a feed from a live VTS network and quickly and reliably provide a traffic image display with VHF capability.