Page 20: of Marine News Magazine (December 2020)

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TRAINING & SIMULATION

Maritime Pilots Institute “What if you could train on your own vessel?” Polk chal- to specialize in – e.g., ships and ocean cargo, military, oil lenged the audience. His question was built on a number and gas exploration, harbor tugs, or tugs and barges work- of realities. Recall that simulation can be increasingly, sin- ing in oceans, inland, or western rivers. He or she would gularly tailored. Note the reference above to IOT, real-time then start training in that competency area, and on those data for modeling, reducing dependence on what Polk vessel types, at the academy, via the simulated digital twin. called static “cookie-cutter data.” Another reality: at many (Vessel standardization would also need to increase to re- maritime academies cadets, unfortunately, don’t get full ally take full advantage of this idea.) simulator training until their senior year. Polk called on educators to “create a scenario where edu-

At the Institute Polk recalled how his team provided train- cation and training are done while in school, graduating a ing on a boat that hadn’t yet been built. But it existed digital- person who already knows the vessel.” He referenced many ly, the twin of the vessel in the shipyard, under construction. bene? ts – proving competence, impacting leadership, best

Polk referenced this project to make his suggestion: use practices regarding the vessel itself and, importantly, work- a digital twin to similarly train maritime cadets. He further force retention. “To excel and improve,” Polk said, “we suggested that senior year is too late to start full ship simu- need to do more. Turn schools on their heads.” lator training. “Academies need to turn that around,” he Like Gregg Trunnell, Polk also suggested a shared, coop- said. Simulator training should start much earlier, prepar- erative approach to advancing and maximizing simulator ing a cadet, by junior year, to make a choice about a vessel capabilities. “Our ability to access content from the cloud is

December 2020 20 MN