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programs, and to perform human factor studies that guide the continued development of the simulators. VMT has also established solid working relationships with the big- gest lifeboat manufacturers in the world.

Another simulation capacity is that of subsea ROV (Re- mote Operated Vehicle) and AUV (Autonomous Under- water Vehicle) simulation, thanks to GRi Simulations Inc.

GRi began to focus on simulation technologies in 1999.

Answering a training requirement for ROV operators, the company took a new approach of utilizing networked PCs rather than the approach of large workstations that had been the previous focus of industry.

From there, the innovations continued, GRi creating a level of detail in its simulations that eclipsed the competi- tion. For instance, GRi found a way to accurately simulate the tethers that connect ROVs to surface ships, preventing what Stephen Dodd, VP Operations, describes as poten- tial “negative learning”, whereby ROV pilots trained using inferior simulators might run into potentially very costly dif