Vision FT IBS

Late last year in Amsterdam Sperry Marine rolled out its vision of the bridge of the future.

The Vision FT integrated bridge system (IBS) incorporates the latest advances in marine navigation technology and combines all of the ship's navigation sensors and systems — including radars, electronic chart display and information system, gyrocompass, depth sounder, speed log, DGPS receivers and autopilot — into a completely integrated package.

Central to the system is Sperry Marine's Voyage Management System (VMS) software, which is designed to provide easy and precise route planning and gives a clear real-time picture of the ship's precise position and movement, along with radar targets and automatic identification system data, on an electronic chart display and information system.

"In the future, I believe the main navigation display will be an electronic chart with a Radar and AIS overlay," said Capt. Jan T. Hansen, the company's director of system sales worldwide.

This reality is dependent, however, on the availability of electronic chart data.

While Vision FT, like all other IBS systems, must adhere to standards laid down by international authorities, there are many notable improvements designed to appeal to safety and efficiency minded ship operators.

The new bridge console designs have been optimized for modern large-screen high-resolution flat-panel color displays, with easy front-panel access for maintenance and repairs. The manmachine interface has been upgraded with a new ergonomic trackball control device and drop-down menu windows for easy operation minimizing the need for operator training. Another interesting offering is the PocketBridge, a remote wireless multi-function handheld device that is designed to allow for the ship's master and officers to view data from the IBS and other ship systems on a palm-type computer anywhere on the ship.

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Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 48, May 2004

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Maritime Reporter

First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.