ROLLS ROYCE PRESENTS REVOLUTIONARY VISION OF SHIP INTELLIGENCE

The brand's new oX concept could change the shipping industry

As ships and their technology become increasingly complex, regulations are also getting tighter and environmental pressures are becoming unavoidable. Simultaneously, skilled workers willing to live at sea for long periods of time are becoming rare. Such changes are causing a shift towards the idea of autonomous vessels.

Developed alongside VTT Technical Research Center of Finland and Aalto University, Rolls royce intends to make autonomous ships a reality by 2025. The Future Operator Experience Concept or “oX” is a new type of futuristic ship intelligence that could respond to the constant and current evolutions of the shipping industry.

Using advanced technology, oX creates a comprehensive communications network between the captain, the crew, the shore and surrounding vessels. First of all, the oX bridge has the capacity to detect the specific user and adjust all settings to suit the user’s specific tasks and ergonomic needs. From there, the system turns the bridge windows into augmented reality screens that give detailed, real-time feedback and enhanced visibility of the ship’s surroundings. This means that captains can better manage navigation by staying one step ahead of any potential hazards. Captains can also easily communicate and share data with crew members thanks to visual and verbal cues. Physical positions of crew members are also provided at all times, increasing safety and ease of communication.

The oX technology also uses remote monitoring from on-shore-based hubs that plan and monitor shipping operations. Optimal deck layouts are configured based on the operations individual profile. Operators remain in control of the plan. Stand-by vessels remain on hand in case of emergency and all equipment is carefully monitored during operations. According to Rolls Royce, the technology can be implemented on a large variety of ships, from supersized cargo container ships to platform support vessels.

Rolls Royce’s Vice President of Marine Innovation, Oskar Levander, explains, “We are investing in ship intelligence, which will be a major driver of the next transition era of shipping. Much in the way that sail gave way to steam powered ships, and coal gave way to oil, we will see increasingly sophisticated ships, highly automated and perhaps even unmanned remote controlled, plying the seas within the next two decades.”