Page 34: of Marine News Magazine (August 2012)

Volvo Penta Creates the Future Helm Stations Car drivers start their engines, electrical systems and instruments with the single push of a button. In the boating world it?s not quite that simple ? yet. Volvo Penta has started development work for integrated, modularized and more user-friendly helm stations for the boats of tomorrow, presenting the  rst outlines of how these helm stations will be designed in the future. Ergonomics and  eld of vision are two areas of the helm station where Volvo Penta has identi ed a great potential for improvement, and for this work Volvo Penta employs the advanced know-how that is available within other businesses in the Volvo Group; Trucks, Construction Equipment and Buses. Volvo Penta?s vision for the future is to deliver complete and ergonomically optimized modules where the boat?s propulsion system is fully integrated with the navigation and communication instruments and all other electrical equipment on board. An important part of the development towards increased integration between engine and instruments, this year?s product include Joystick Driving. The release date of Volvo Penta?s future helm station has not yet been determined. Navis Showcases New STCS 4000Navis Engineering Oy has introduced a multipurpose integrated steering and thruster control system. STCS4000, based on digital technology, has already been delivered to two AHTS hulls under the supervision of Lloyd?s Register and to a pilot boat at Pella Shipyard in St Petersburg. The system is designed to control the engine start and stop functions, to indicate the status of drive and power supplies and provide visual and audio alarms on supply failures, oil levels, drive overloads and other emergency situations. STCS4000 offers an absolutely new approach to information display in ?lower level? control systems and, with  exible con guration, simple network architecture, it is the most compact and functional of its type in the industry. All the system devices are interconnected by CAN. Based on the priority display of alarms and information, the system makes it possible to  t more than 20 messages within the boundaries of the main panel screen, thereby making it multipurpose while keeping its dimensions to a minimum. STCS4000 has a colour display with a 130° viewing angle and anti-glare surface and uses a radical new type of combined indicator for the required/true rudder position display. The indicator incorporates a unique system of emergency transfer of pointers to an unseen dial area, in case acceptance limits are exceeded or indicator power failure occurs. Emerging Marine Technologies For more than Þ fty years, progress and improvements on the waterfront (and out to sea) were measured primarily by increases in deadweight tonnage, length overall, depth and beam of commercial vessels. Today, a new metric is in place: technology has made it to the maritime world in a big way. In this edition, we provide a sample of some of the more interesting, and potentially game-changing technologies now in the pipeline for shipyards, boat operators and the mariners at the heart of it all. Is this the future ÒdrivingÓ evironment for Workboats: Er- gonomical, with the latest technology, easily accessible for the driver. Volvo PentaÕs vision is to offer complete helm stations with the same user-friendliness as a car or a truck. Navis Showcases NewSTCS 4000Navis En gineering Oy has intro duced a multipurposeintegrated steering and thruster contro l system. STCS4000, based on digital technology, has alrea dy been delivere d totwo AHTS hulls under the supervision o f Lloyd?s Re gisterand to a pilot boat at Pella Shipyard in St Petersbur g.The system is designed to control the en gine start and stop functions, to indicate the status of drive an d power supplies and provi de visual and audio alarms on supply failures, oi l leve ls, drive over loads and other emergency situations. STCS4000 o ffers an absolutely new approac hto information display in ?lower leve l? contro l systems and,with  exible con guration, simple network architecture, it is the most compact and functional of its type in theindustry. All the system devices are interconnecte d by CAN.Base d on the priority display of alarms and information,the system makes it possible to  t more t han 20 messageswithin the boundaries of the main panel screen, t here by making it multipurpose while keeping its dimensions toa minimum. STCS4000 has a colour dis play with a 130°viewin g angle and anti-glare surface and uses a radical ne w type of combined indicator for the re quire d/true ru dderposition display. T he indicator incorporates a uniquesystem of emergency transfer of pointers to an unseen dialarea, in case acce ptance limits are exceeded or indicator power failure occurs. August 201234 MN