TECHNOLOGY

Wi-Fi in the Extreme North: How technology changes the lives of sailors

The rapid development of information technology has rather abruptly changed the daily life of ship crews. That sophistication has even touched the top five problem areas at sea: medicine, job safety, telecoms, leisure and training.

Credit: Pavel Lvov/RIAN

Medicine

Only a few decades ago, a crew that went on a long haul was left to its own devices for long months. In many cases, reaching coastal services immediately is impossible, and the ship’s doctor might not be able to deal with everything, having only a limited set of medical equipment and drugs. A serious illness of a crew member carries high risks. According to a study by the International Maritime Health Association (IMHA), on average, every fifth commercial ship deviates from its course or returns to port due to medical cases on board. The results are based on data analysis of 23,299 commercial ships with 420K seafarers on board. For business, this means tens and hundreds of thousands of US dollars in additional unbudgeted costs.

Now telemedicine is stepping in to help. The ship’s doctor can consult his colleagues from anywhere in the world. Several companies use smart sensors and mobile systems on their ships to monitor the seamen’s bodies in real time to evaluate their health, but there are not so many such ships yet. Vessels are also equipped with modern medical instruments, including autonomous defibrillators.

Occupational safety 

The introduction of the Internet of Things has made it possible to improve job safety control on ships, including tankers carrying LNG and oil products. Since even a small error can lead to a disaster, IoT is especially relevant for continuous monitoring of the dangerous goods storage conditions – it helps quickly eliminate threats if they occur, such as leaks or increasing concentrations of hazardous substances in premises.

Smart workwear with built-in trackers and sensors helps reduce the number of accidents. If a crew member behaves in an unusual way or is stationary for a long time, the system signals to the operator. In a similar way, smart life jackets give an alarm sign if a person falls overboard. It is important to note that the victim will not disappear from the radar even in difficult conditions, for example during a storm. Furthermore, many modern ships are equipped with surveillance cameras. The signal can be broadcast to on board security service as well as to operators ashore. These systems help control the crew’s safety, as well as their work-rest bakance.

Telecommunications

In the past ten years, technologies have provided vessels with steady connection with any location on the globe through wireless channels, such as VSAT networks, cellular networks and Wi-Fi on board the ship. 

Over the past few years, the communication bandwidth has considerably increased, making it possible to keep in touch with with a vessel even in the Extreme North, for instance, during a voyage along the Northern Sea Route. The internet is used for optimization of business processes onboard: in certain cases, the crew can start declaring goods to the port services in advance, on their way to the port.

In addition, navigation systems have become considerably more reliable, with all modern vessels using electronic systems that automatically download all updated navigation charts, including ice maps, and receive local weather forecast online. 

Recreation and entertainment 

With the advent of satellite internet and advanced communications systems, crew members now have an opportunity to communicate with their families and friends during the entire voyage; they now have access to multimedia internet resources, social networking websites, and messengers. This is also good for business, as a better psychological condition results in the crew’s greater work efficiency and consequently, higher income of the shipping company. Some experts, however, oppose crew members’ continuous communication with their families, claiming that any bad news from home can demoralize them and even lead to potentially dangerous consequences. 

Training

During the voyage, crew members often face problems that they have not encountered before. IT solutions and telecommunications can help with that. Specialists can analyze details using computer simulations and display processes that cannot be explored by other methods.

Both professional and daily routine activities continue to remain rather stressful for an untrained person. Introducing technologies in the crew’s everyday life improves their physical and psychological condition and allows ship owners to boost work efficiency and business profit. It is conceivable that in 20-30 years, the most difficult routes will be navigated by fully automated and unmanned vessels, but until then, only innovations can make a mariner’s life easier. 

By Alexei Afonin, Navigation Business Development Manager, Orange Business Services Russia and CIS

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