Ulstein Concept Bridge

[bobofinga]

Well I was shown this video by a Norwegian Instructor on a course I was on last week.

Its a concept of future bridges by the Norwegian group Ulstein (the folk who designed the X-BoW).

I would say its more Offshore related but it definitely is a cool idea!

http://vimeo.com/48455347

[laura]

Two minds about it, it is very slick and all but it's the same thing as with ECDIS, when it works it's great but as with all electronics- when it doesn't work you are well and truly screwed!

Over on a course in Norway last year and got to play a bit with the rolls royce/ kongsberg simulators in ?lesund- again very nice design but I'm slightly wary of touch screens. Plus you really do end up over- relying on electronic information. It's hard not to. Very slick though- but maybe too slick!

[bobofinga]

Yeah it reminds me of something out of Star Trek!

If any1 can do it though it is the Noggies ...

Apparently their design team has a lot of people from the Gaming/Smart phone industry working on the projects.

[HarmlessWeasel]

I'm not convinced by the hand waving commands. I always prefer having a tactile surface to play with.

[GuinnessMan]

I'm not convinced by the hand waving commands. I always prefer having a tactile surface to play with.

I agree with the hand-waving bit, what about in rough weather or an unexpected wave or something?

Anywho, the whole bit with the bridge windows is definitely of interest to me. It was something that came up when a pal of mine was telling us about her PhD work. She's one of the folks who is working on design/implementation of that sort of clear screen technology CLED or something?

[Inland Pirate]

Are they planning a spaceship next?

[bobofinga]

The X-Bow was always laughed at when it was in Design but all reports I've heard about it from people on it and what not are outstanding.

Stability is much better , speed and fuel consumption better by like 25% and is apparently a great sea ship ... even in the North Sea.

[YoungMariner]

I've sailed on superyacht bridges which have been incredibly impressive, but I also believe that with greater technology there needs to be a much greater understanding of the technology, inputs and how the systems actually work. Knowing only how to operate the equipment will be useful only 99% of the time, it's the 1% of the time that will have terrible consequences.
The airlines have moved into a high level of automation and electronics, but the AF447 is one of many examples where operator understanding can catch you out.

The cost of this technology (both capital and maintenance) will be the deterent initially.

[CharlieDelta]

One of my ships was just out of refit. A lot of propulsion controls and, oddly, the stabiliser control panel, had been ripped out and replaced with touchscreens. Was a bit pointless to be honest. Most people would prefer a big clunky switch to, say, change steering mode, rather than a tiny touchscreen button that the chubby-fingered amongst us just end up hating.

[YoungMariner]

One of my ships was just out of refit. A lot of propulsion controls and, oddly, the stabiliser control panel, had been ripped out and replaced with touchscreens. Was a bit pointless to be honest. Most people would prefer a big clunky switch to, say, change steering mode, rather than a tiny touchscreen button that the chubby-fingered amongst us just end up hating.

Again, the aviation industry has studied that, and certain switches and levers on a flight deck have a distinctive feel to them to help such as the landing gear etc. The same should be said for items such as manual/autopilot switchovers etc.

[bobofinga]

Yeah I agree with that , I've always had large 'switches' for steering mode change overs.

I imagine in Planes landing gear to be a large handle above the pilots heads they pull down? (too many films)

[sparrow]

Actually bobofinga, the landing gear lever on a jet is usually shaped like a wheel and the flaps lever like an aerofoil. They're made like that to make them more intuitive to pilots suffering from hypoxia during a decompression, but I suppose to be suffering from hypoxia on a ship you'd be rather wet and have bigger things to worry about!

Sam

[YoungMariner]

Actually bobofinga, the landing gear lever on a jet is usually shaped like a wheel and the flaps lever like an aerofoil. They're made like that to make them more intuitive to pilots suffering from hypoxia during a decompression, but I suppose to be suffering from hypoxia on a ship you'd be rather wet and have bigger things to worry about!

Sam

It's not solely to do with hypoxia. Much of the design of a flight deck is from Human Factors studies and considering how routine tasks under high workload or low levels of concentration can result in mistakes. Using sensors such as touch may help remind a person before passing the wrong switch.

Working in complete darkness under a high workload on a navigational bridge could have the same affect.

My experience in aviation is limited [PPL(A) + ATPL theory)] from a time when I considered a career change untIl I realised how crap the money was and would be better of continuing as a PPL.