Navis Engineering has become a solutions partner on KVH Industries’ internet of things (IoT) connectivity programme to enable key vessel control systems to be monitored remotely
US-headquartered KVH said Navis will offer KVH Watch Cloud Connect services to monitor dynamic positioning (DP) systems on vessels supporting offshore projects remotely through this partner programme.
Navis expects this service to be primarily required for vessels supporting offshore oil and gas and renewables projects. In these sectors, DP systems provide highly accurate positioning and control of vessels that must be kept stable while operating in close proximity to offshore installations.
This application could also be used to monitor DP systems on offshore drill rigs, drillships, shuttle tankers and cruise ships and on autonomous vessels in the future.
“DP and joystick control systems are crucial to the precise manoeuvring of almost any modern vessel and we look forward to offering our customers added value with a range of remote services including real-time monitoring thanks to KVH Watch,” said Navis Engineering area sales manager Alexander Mordvintsev.
“In addition, the industry sees DP as a gateway to autonomous vessels and we expect remote monitoring and advanced connectivity solutions will become mandatory. KVH services can definitely open the door to the maritime future for industry players.”
KVH senior director of IoT business development Sven Brooks agreed on the importance of remotely monitoring DP systems.
“The ability to offer real-time monitoring to clients is so important for an [original equipment manufacturer] OEM like Navis, whose DP control systems are essential to critical oil and gas operations with the highest standards for cyber security and safety at sea,” said Mr Brooks.
In 2021, KVH expanded its suite of KVH Watch maritime IoT solutions with Cloud Connect. This addresses the complexity of managing data from hundreds of sensors linked to various onboard systems and devices.
An onboard Cloud Connect Edge server aggregates and processes data from vessel sensors. This provides a containerised, hybrid cloud architecture to enable down-sampling and data storage. Data can be accessed for analysis, cloud-based data reporting and dynamic visualisations. Cloud Connect has data source definitions, data mapping and associated dashboards.
This is part of the KVH Watch maritime IoT suite, which includes the ability to perform on-demand, remote expert interventions using video, voice or text via KVH’s network of connectivity from various high-throughput satellites.
KVH Watch is a connectivity-as-a-service programme with no requirements for equipment purchasing or maintenance costs for the Watch terminal.
For cyber security, the KVH Watch antenna provides an isolated local area network, data connectivity at the sensor level, a secure wifi network and a dedicated connectivity solution, which separates onboard IT from the operating technology, as recommended by IMO’s cyber-risk management recommendations.
In November 2021, Navis and JRC/Alphatron Marine released the new DynaPilot ship motion control system. This combines autopilot, heading control and track control functions and can also be a smart interface to the engine controls and thrusters.
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