Page 44: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 2019)

T

TECH FILES CONNECTIVITY

The Future of Navigation

An anniversary is a chance to look back, but shipping is moving forward faster than ever, writes Nick Hollaway, technical director, Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine.

Image: Sperry Marine years since the launch The ef? ciency gains required to meet ing data with navigators to simplifying grates to the wider industry will change of the ? rst radar under long term sustainability targets will re- the presentation of information in more beyond all recognition. the Decca brand and quire shipping to embrace vessel ef- intelligent ways that drive human deci- The most recent phase of development 70 today’s Sperry Marine ? ciency and voyage optimization on a sion-making. This creates the opportu- has seen the company move into provi- is marking the anniversary by looking completely new level and will place a nity to share the information load with sion of a ‘system of products’, where to a future that would have been hard to stronger emphasis on connectivity to shoreside systems that can process the navigation is integrated more deeply imagine in 1949 – or even as little as 10 the wider transport and logistics sup- information and present specialist teams into vessel operations to enhance safety years ago. Yet the changes of the last de- ply chain. As a company rooted in the with options that can support naviga- and ef? ciency. This concept, known as cade will be eclipsed by the transforma- provision of products designed around tors onboard. For some, this path leads the Sperry Sphere, will grow from being tion in the decades to come, which will safety and themselves regulated to the inevitably to the era of autonomous or vessel-centric to embrace the logistics accelerate as the shipping industry em- highest standards, we are thinking more remote controlled ships but such an out- and supply chain of the wider maritime braces greater digitalization and moves and more about what the future will look come – in mainstream shipping at least industry. As a ‘system of systems’, the towards an era of smart and connected like, what our customers will require and – is far from a foregone conclusion. vessel’s operational technology will in operations. In the course of 70 years, how to maintain our legacy of innova- What is likely is that crew numbers will future be connected to port and terminal the Sperry Marine portfolio has evolved tion. We also recognize that the trend to- be progressively reduced as technology systems for monitoring and control and from standalone single function prod- wards enhanced connectivity and greater advances and that a globally connected to shoreside vessel management for opti- ucts, through smart products with fea- use of networks creates a further chal- bridge system can enjoy remote op- misation and maintenance. Data services ture rich software, better user interface lenges that must be considered. erational and maintenance support. The designed to promote optimisation and and integrated sensor data, to smart and In the last decade, the integration of critical lesson of the past is that things ef? ciency will be seamlessly connected connected products combining remote more and more sensors into bridge sys- move faster than we expect and often de- and the operator can share selected in- monitoring, control and optimisation. tems has become the industry standard, velop in ways we can’t predict. Shipping formation with customers and partners.

This vision re? ects not just the ad- but it has also created problems, prin- needs to think about how to absorb and Perhaps the key takeaway from 70 vances in technology that can deliver cipally how to avoid users being over- understand these disruptive in? uences, years in marine radar is that whatever data more widely and securely, but the whelmed with information and data that embrace new thinking and continue to products and services we deliver, we in? uences on the industry, particularly could distract them from their mission. push the boundaries. For Sperry Marine don’t drive the market, our customers from digital transformation and the need One of the next challenges will be to this means that the regulated bridge stays drive us to innovate and grow, and in do- for sustainability. move beyond simply pulling and shar- at the heart of the vessel but how it inte- ing so, continue our journey.

44 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • SEPTEMBER 2019

MR #9 (42-49).indd 44 MR #9 (42-49).indd 44 9/12/2019 11:37:12 AM9/12/2019 11:37:12 AM