A new technology to train seafarers has been demonstrated by a major shipmanagement group
Columbia Shipmanagement (CSM) tested hologram technology to highlight this innovation for better communications and crew training.
CSM president and chief executive Mark O’Neil addressed an audience in Manila, the Philippines from the offices of OneLearn Global in Limassol, Cyprus, 8,900 km away.
He appeared as a life-size, 3D hologram, in 4K resolution to demonstrate the technology.
“The future is already here,” said Mr O’Neil. “The equipment we use is high tech, but very portable and takes the whole issue of speaker contributions to conferences or business meetings to a completely different level.”
CSM said this portal technology could be used to train crews remotely in real-time, replacing global travel with hologram-led international business meetings.
“A fleet director in one part of the world can mentor ships’ officers attending a conference in another,” Mr O’Neil said.
“Customers and suppliers can have more intuitive and interactive meetings without having to step on a plane and fly thousands of miles to a meeting. This is tomorrow’s world happening today and we are delighted to be able to make it a reality.”
Hologram technology was developed by the California-based company PortL, which has worked with CSM for over a year improving the deliverable to fit the shipmanagers’ specific needs.
During the demonstration, Mr O’Neil was filmed talking to the audience in a purpose-built capture studio in OneLearn Global’s offices in Limassol.
He was able to see the audience based in the Nautilus Pacific Maritime Training Centre in Manila, while they watched him standing life-sized within a 2.4-m, glass-fronted computerised box.
These boxes, or portals, have built-in speakers so the hologram’s voice can be heard. They have cameras and microphones so the person appearing as a hologram can see the audience in front of their projection.
CSM group director for crewing and training Captain Faouzi Fradi said the equipment can be packaged in various sizes and transported between different locations.
“The technology is exciting, and we will be looking to implement it very soon in 2022,” said Capt Fradi.
“There is next to no latency or delay to the transmission and the hologram is so lifelike you would think the person was actually in the room with you,” he said.
Capt Fradi said the technology could save travel costs and enable remote face-to-face meetings. “Using this technology, anyone who needs experts or senior management to attend meetings can have them beamed in,” he said.
“We used to fly people to Manila for US$3,000 plus the cost of a hotel and the loss of a few days travel. But now they can contribute without leaving their country.”
CSM is working with Nautilus with its fully equipped simulator and training centre in Manila to deploy this portal, hologram technology.
“Even experts who are unable to travel can be beamed in. It takes the meeting concept to a new level,” said Capt Fradi.
PortL is developing smaller, cheaper and more lightweight portals to enable different applications, perhaps even on board ships.
OneLearn Global senior advisor Nigel Cleave said this technology could “elevate the quality and scope of the training and education we are able to offer officers and crew.”
He added, “This is clearly at the vanguard of training technology and the benefits will be there to be seen.”
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