Page 47: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 2021)

TECH FEATURE CONNECTIVITY ng for DESS Aqua systems make it simple to aggregate, doubled in volume since 2005 and is Eide stressed a key bene? t of link- transmit and visualise data “and that’s still growing. ing sensors to the ScanReach wireless how we build trust,” he said. Its vessels typically have eight-to-10 system, especially in a situation where

ScanReach initially installed the sys- crew on board, many of them working drilling holes for cables is impractica- tem on one vessel, which involved ? t- along the vessel’s side during ? sh han- ble, such as into ? sh tanks: “that would ting a number of wireless nodes through- dling operations and sometimes step- be the end of the business case.” Wire- out the hull. Engene subsequently spent ping off the vessel to stand on the ? sh less monitoring is also cheaper: “I know some time on that vessel and crawled cages. This makes it likely that, over how much we paid to instal the ? xed “absolutely all over the boat” with a time, someone will fall overboard, En- probes we have today and I’m not in- wearable sensor. “I clicked the panic gene said, prompting DESS Aqua to stalling any more,” said Engene.

button and it connected to the system support a ScanReach project to develop Being able to combine POB informa- every time,” he said. It convinced him a man-overboard (MoB) sensor. tion with environmental data “will be that ScanReach’s wireless technology This is not straightforward: it should gold in our industry,” he predicted, be- was reliable even in the depths of a steel not alarm every time a crew member in- cause of the frequency that crew have hull so, although the pilot was intended tentionally steps onto a ? sh cage and the to enter the ? sh tanks. Doing it cor- to last six months, DESS signed a ? eet- system should not rely on, for example, rectly with all the necessary pre-entry wide agreement after just three. an accelerometer detecting a water im- checks takes time, so it can be tempting pact as its sole MoB indicator because a to cut corners. Automating those checks

Personnel Tracking fall may not be from suf? cient height to would remove that risk, he believes,

Its main use of the system so far has produce a signi? cant deceleration from and he is hopeful that the Norwegian been to run ScanReach’s ConnectPOB ships with low freeboards. ? ag authorities might be willing to view personnel tracking system, which makes ScanReach’s sensors do have accel- such a system to be acceptable instead use of the nodes and the mesh they cre- erometers, Eide said, and the company of the current arrangement that uses set ate speci? cally to keep track of person- is working with its suppliers to develop procedures that may be viewed as time- nel onboard (POB). the next generation of wearable devices consuming.

When they are called to their muster which may check for salinity or another “We have to make it easy for our crew stations, for example, ConnectPOB au- parameter to detect an MoB situation. to do the right things,” he said. He is tomatically records each person as they “There is a lot of functionality in the also keen to take advantage of Scan- arrive and displays this information on wearable and in the node that is not yet Reach’s next project, ConnectFleet, the bridge. In the event that someone deployed” so they could be enhanced, which will provide ? eet-wide surveil- does not muster, ConnectPOB will show which can be done remotely via satel- lance that will “dramatically increase which node their sensor is currently – or lite, he said. safety,” said Eide. It will deliver real- was last – linked to, reducing the time A further project that DESS Aqua time information from across a ? eet of needed to ? nd them. is supporting is developing gas mea- ships to the shoreside of? ce from where

Eide believes that ConnectPOB is surement sensors that would link with support can be offered in an emergency. good for business, which Engene con- ScanReach nodes to report the environ- “When the alarm goes off, the captain ? rmed. His customers are ? sh farmers ment inside a con? ned space before it is alone on the bridge, because every- for whom DESS Aqua provides services is entered. ScanReach is conducting a body else is occupied, so to have that such as harvesting and transporting global technology survey to ? nd suit- link between the of? ce and the bridge salmon from ? sh farms. “They want to able environmental sensors for this pur- during emergencies will be incredibly see a good safety culture,” he said, so pose, which will probably be calibrated important,” Engene said. “using this technology promotes inter- remotely, and it is discussing with DESS “The ? rst hour in any emergency is est and shows why we are different.” Aqua and other clients what gasses the golden hour,” especially “on our

This distinction is important in a growth should be monitored and other opera- ships with limited numbers of people on sector such as ? sh farming, which has tional details. board,” he added.

www.marinelink.com 47

MR #6 (34-49).indd 47 6/3/2021 3:48:15 PM