RENO (AP) “” As a teenager, Ryan Leigh loved video games.
He still does, but some things have changed. Leigh has grown up. His games are serious.
Leigh is a graduate student in computer science at the University of Nevada, Reno, developing software programs for the Navy that simulate everything from terrorist attacks in the Persian Gulf to erratic sail boats on San Diego Bay.
“I play games and I work on them,” Leigh said. “The circle is complete.”
Leigh belongs to a team of six UNR students led by three professors that’s using sophisticated technology to improve training at the Navy’s Surface Warfare Officers School in Newport, R.I.
It’s where officers serving aboard aircraft carriers, destroyers and other vessels learn to react in a variety of situations, from overseas combat to maneuvering around dozens of weekend pleasure craft in a crowded home port.
“In San Diego harbor, we’re mostly concerned with drunk boaters,” said Lt. Ryan Aleson, the computer simulations officer at the warfare school. “We have to operate in high density areas. That’s our mission.”
So, Leigh and the rest of the UNR computer team create a three-dimensional San Diego, with hundreds of boats and ships moving in different directions ?s experienced Navy captains at the helms of some, but Saturday afternoon skippers sailing the rest.
“My interest is computer games,” said Chris Miles, another of the computer science grad students. “That’s what this is, games.”
With a purpose.
“Drive a ship in a harbor with hundreds of boats without hitting anything,” said Miles, explaining the San Diego scenario. “It’s the most interesting work. These are incredible challenges.”
In other parts of the world, challenges might include suicide attackers in small boats. Anything can happen in the computer simulations. That’s the whole idea.
“We don’t want them to follow a pre-planned script,” said Aleson, who was at UNR recently to evaluate progress on the software development that started in 2003. “We’re getting to the point where we’re getting realistic behaviors.”
The Navy asked for UNR’s help because simulations were limited to what two or three instructors could control on the video screens, usually no more than 20 ships at a time. Programs created by the UNR students and teachers will allow a computer to control hundreds of vessels for a single simulation.
“The problem they have is realism,” said Sushil Louis, director of the Evolutionary Computing Systems Laboratory at UNR. “We’re giving them the ability to make it more realistic.”
So far, the Navy has spent about $2 million on the computer war games project, which UNR professors and Navy officials estimate is about two years from completion.
“We’ve already integrated it with our (training) simulator,” Aleson said of the high-tech classroom in Newport. “It’s working.”
The classroom is a mock-up of a ship’s bridge, where the captain gives orders to the crew. Software simulations, in which ships appear as computer-generated objects in video games, are shown on large screens that officers view from the bridge, as they would at sea.
Leigh has been on the bridge. To him, it seemed real.
“After a while, I actually started feeling seasick,” Leigh said.
From the bridge, naval officers play serious war games.
“We look at terrorist threats,” Aleson said. “We look at large-scale coordinated attacks.”
They also look at crowded San Diego Bay, where one of those Saturday skippers might suddenly veer into the path of a destroyer.
“We are teaching (officers) a decision-making process,” Aleson said.
Every Navy officer assigned to a ship attends the school, which has 1,000 students a year in classes lasting up to six months. Many already have been at sea. That’s why the simulations created at UNR must be realistic.
“A lot of our students have years of experience, they know how to drive ships,” Aleson said of the officers. “If you want to create real-life behaviors, there is a lot more processing a computer has to do.”
The computer-driven ships must perform as if they had human captains.
“Move and navigate just like there’s a real person behind the wheel,” said Monica Nicolescu, a professor of computer science who specializes in robotics. “Make it realistic.”
RTI’s Real-Time Middleware Enhances Dynamic Interconnection in Multi-Ship Simulation
(pr.com)
Santa Clara, CA, May 23, 2006 –(PR.COM)– Real-Time Innovations, Inc. (RTI), The Real-Time Middleware Company, announced today that Force Technology chose RTI communications middleware for its latest marine tug simulator system.
Force Technology is a market leader in the design of multi-ship simulator systems. Its latest marine simulator represents a major step forward. This simulator is the world’s first system to provide a complete environment for training tugboat captains in maneuvering large vessels such as oil and gas tankers into restricted spaces using multiple tugs. This demanding, full-mission trainer application simulates in real time the dynamic configuration of up to four vessels and the resulting variables on the tow lines when handling vessels in a seaway.
Force Technology wanted to interconnect the various dynamic elements in the simulator using real-time middleware that complied with the Object Management Group (OMG’s) Data Distribution Service (DDS) for Real-Time Systems standard. This would provide a COTS-based integration environment for Force Technology’s distributed system design. The design team evaluated a number of DDS implementations before selecting RTI Data Distribution Service (formerly NDDS), which was best able to meet the critical real-time performance requirements needed by this demanding application.
“One of the key enabling technologies now emerging in the design of such distributed simulator systems is real-time middleware,” commented Peter Justesen, head of Simulation and Information Technologies at Force Technology. “Our decision to select RTI’s solution was based primarily on the performance advantage demonstrated by our technical evaluation of available DDS products.”
“The publish-subscribe paradigm of DDS enables systems to share data without having to create unique interfaces for each system. It therefore frees our developers from needing to know the internal operation of each subsystem in order to retrieve its data. All the application needs to do is to subscribe to the desired data sets and DDS does the rest,” Justesen continued. “And using standards-based interfaces such as DDS provides our designers with a COTS-based development environment that greatly simplifies system maintenance and the introduction of upgraded hardware in our operational systems without requiring a rewrite of the application software.”
“Simulators are an ideal application for the DDS standard,” stated David Barnett, vice president of Product Management at RTI. “DDS was designed specifically to ease the development of heterogeneous distributed systems such as simulators. These systems have demanding real-time data distribution requirements and incorporate a mix of computing platforms. I am delighted that Force Technology concluded that RTI was best able to meet the stringent performance requirements of its leading-edge application.”
The Full Mission Simulator for Tug Master Training — This new interactive tug simulator facility has been developed in close cooperation with SvitzerWijsmuller, one of the world’s leading tug operators. The cooperation agreement between the parties will secure the continued development of the facility and the courses. Force Technology was chosen as the preferred partner for this development due to its combination of experience in advanced ship hydrodynamics, mathematical modeling and simulation, all of which is available at the same geographical location in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The simulator offers the following features:
- Full six degrees of freedom tug and assisted ship behavior
- Tug bridge viewing of 360 degrees
- Real bridge equipment similar to a modern state-of-the-art tug
- World-class hydrodynamic mathematical models of tug and assisted ship based on extensive model tests and sea trials
- Fully coupled and interactive simulations of tug and assisted ship, including effects such as fender, towline, propeller wash interaction, radio communication and so on
- All the customary simulator effects such as wind, waves, current, varying visibility, bathymetry, and miscellaneous sound and visual effects
- Full flexibility to efficiently implement new tug designs, additional or new assisted ships designs, and additional or new operating areas (This flexibility is achieved because the simulator is completely based on Force Technology’s own simulator development, SimFlex Navigator.)
About Force Technology — Force Technology is a leading design consultancy and service provider offering a wide range of services and solutions for the international market. They transform highly specialized engineering knowledge into practical and cost-effective solutions, and provide consultancy within several areas. Force Technology is a privately owned center of expertise approved by the Danish Ministry for Research and Development as a technological service institute. Their experience with simulation technology goes back many years, and includes lay-out and design simulation, determination of safe operational limits in wind, current and waves, maneuvering and stability simulations, etc. Facilities include full-mission simulators, including bridges and tug cubicles, towing tank, and wind tunnels. Force Technology sells their simulator products to customers around the world. The company’s headquarters are located in Brøndby outside Copenhagen. They also operate subsidiaries in Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, USA, Brazil and Russia. In 2004 the group’s Danish and international operations employed a staff of more than 1000 employees.
About RTI — Real-Time Innovations (RTI) supplies middleware and distributed data management solutions for real-time systems. With innovative technology and deep expertise in distributed applications, RTI provides an unequaled competitive advantage to customers developing systems that benefit from high-performance access to time-critical data. RTI solutions have been deployed in a broad range of applications including command and control, intelligence, surveillance, data fusion, simulation, industrial control, air traffic control, railway management, roadway traffic monitoring and multimedia communications. Founded in 1991, RTI is privately held and headquartered in Santa Clara, CA.
Alion Acquires Micro Analysis & Design
Alion Acquires Micro Analysis & Design; Technology Solutions Firm Purchases Human Systems Integration Solution Provider.
MCLEAN, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May 22, 2006–Alion Science and Technology, a technology solutions provider for government and industry, today announced that it has acquired Boulder, CO – based Micro Analysis & Design (MA&D), provider of human factors engineering, modeling and simulation and software development. Terms of the deal, which was completed on May 19, 2006, were not disclosed.
“The acquisition of MA&D enhances Alion’s current capabilities in human systems integration, ship design and modeling and simulation,” said Bahman Atefi, Chairman and CEO of Alion. “MA&D has been recognized for their outstanding work for the US Army and Navy as well as hospitals and industrial customers. We are looking forward to the new capabilities and technologies that they will bring to our existing skill sets,” he explained.
Scott Fry, Alion Senior Vice President and manager of the company’s JJMA Maritime Sector, added, “MA&D is the premier human systems integration company supporting the Department of Defense today. The solutions they provide can be applied to any number of situations where people interact with control systems, making the personnel and systems more efficient which can reduce both space requirements and costs.”
The president of MA&D, Ron Laughery, said that becoming part of Alion was an opportunity for the company. “Our human systems integration solutions fit into Alion’s portfolio of military manpower solutions as well as their extensive modeling capabilities. With the added resources that Alion can provide, we can not only continue to give our existing customers outstanding support, but offer them even more complete solutions while adding to our customer base,” Dr. Laughery stated.
MA&D has offices in Boulder, CO and Orlando, FL with additional personnel located at customer sites.
About Alion Science and Technology
Alion Science and Technology is an employee-owned technology solutions company delivering technical expertise and operational support to the Department of Defense, civilian government agencies and commercial customers. Building on almost 70 years of R&D and engineering experience, Alion brings innovation and insight to multiple business areas: defense operations; modeling & simulation; wireless communication; industrial technology; chemical, biological, nuclear & environmental sciences; information technology; and naval architecture & marine engineering. Based in McLean, Virginia, Alion has more than 2700 employee-owners at major offices, customer sites and laboratories worldwide. For more information, call 877.771.6252 or visit Alion online at www.alionscience.com.
Lighthouse to launch Ship Simulator 2006
Leading publisher Lighthouse Interactive announced today that it has acquired the rights to the innovative PC game “Ship Simulator 2006”, in a deal with Dutch developer VSTEP…
Ship Simulator 2006 is a revolutionary new game that puts players at the helm of some of the most varied and detailed ships to be found at sea, where they will need to perform a multitude of tasks, all set within a stunning 3D environment. Players will take control of a wide array of ship types, from massive cargo ships to speedboats, yachts, water taxis and even the mighty Titanic. The waters you sail are also as varied as the ships, from the biggest harbours in the world, such as Rotterdam and Hamburg, to the calm aqua marine waters of the Thai Phi Phi Islands. Gamers will experience how challenging it is to steer the Titanic through shallow water, or just how it feels to navigate a cargo tanker or tug boat – including how diverse the controls are.
Transas Pacific supplies simulator suite for Malaysian Maritime Academy
Transas is proud to announce the successful execution of the tender for the supply of the Liquid Cargo Handling Simulator (LCHS) and Engine Room Simulator (ERS) for Malaysian Maritime Academy Sdn Bhd (ALAM), Melaka. The delivery project was sponsored by Petronas Maritime Services Sdn Bhd (PMSSB), a subsidiary of Pertonas.
The contract for the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of a Full Mission Ship-handling Simulator (FMSHS) at ALAM was awarded to Transas Marine Pacific. Configuration included DNV Class A full mission bridge with nine visual channels projected to the curved screen, consoles, mock-up and a full range of dedicated hardware to simulate a real ship’s bridge environment. A further three cubicle bridges each with three visual channels, and twelve CBT Navi-Trainer Professional 4000 ‘configuration A’ bridges were provided. Even though the time from order to delivery was short, Transas also provided customization of the simulator software and ship models much to the satisfaction of ALAM.
Following this project, Transas also won the tender to supply the LCHS and ERS for the Academy. Within the shortest possible contract period the building and infrastructure was prepared and the computer system was installed. At the moment the LCHS installation includes 10 trainee workstations of LCHS 2000 (Oil Tanker, Chemical Tanker, LPG), LCHS 4000 (Oil terminal and LNG spherical) and the ERS installation includes 10 trainee workstations of ERS 4000 (Container, Oil Tanker, Ro-Ro). The LCHS and ERS are installed in separate rooms but can be used for joint training. The systems include state-of-the-art Engine Room and Liquid Cargo Handling simulators incorporating a wide range of training tasks, with a typical engine room layout and a classroom for Engine Room and Liquid Cargo Handling training. The Instructor control and monitoring stations feature the latest software for exercise development, conduct, debrief and analysis.
The project requires customization of models such as Kawasaki Steam Turbine, Wartsila Sulzer marine diesel engine, LNG Membrane and VLCC meaning that the project will be completed in phases. The first phase i.e. standard PC based application for ERS and LCHS was completed. Other phases for customization of the models mentioned are scheduled for completion in stages by March 2006 and December 2006.
ALAM has always had close links to the Petronas Corporation who as a modern, forward-thinking company, exemplify the new wave of shipbuilders who place education and development at the very core of their organizations. Graduates of ALAM can progress from the lower-level position of Cadet Officer or Rating to the highest level position of Master Mariner or Chief Engineer. Having access to the full range of advanced simulator equipment from Transas in their training, graduates are assured a very bright future in a whole host of maritime related fields.
Link: Transas Pacific
Study to examine impact of boating, industry on bay
(pbn.com)
The University of Rhode Island recently partnered with a marine research group and a Providence-based engineering firm to study issues of coexistence of tourism and recreational and commercial industry activities on Narragansett Bay.
The two-year, $155,000 study will be funded by a grant from the URI Transportation Center, matched by funds from the Maguire Group Inc. and Marine Safety International Inc., a port improvement researcher, which has a center in Newport.
The study will be conducted by students from the URI Graduate School of Oceanography and led by Candace Oviatt, director of URI’s Marine Ecosystems Research Lab. Co-principal investigators will be Captain Fred Bronaugh of Marine Safety and Victor Calabretta, senior vice president of operations at Maguire.
The study aims to statistically quantify peak maritime activity on the southern part of the bay. The data will then be correlated to bay shipping activity to determine issues of compatibility and coexistence. The initial catalysts for the study were the proposals for container shipping and LNG shipping on the bay, and, more recently, for efforts focused on homeland security.
According to Bronaugh, Marine Safety plans to incorporate the data from the research into its simulations and then study actual encounters between ships and recreational vessels. “This data will allow us to model reaction times to potential homeland security threats,” he added in a news release.
“We anticipate application of this data to other security activity on the bay as well,” said Calabretta. “For example, one of our study areas is immediately north of the Pell Bridge. The real-time activity data could be valuable to the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority in its security studies and emergency plans. The Narragansett Bay Yacht Racing Association’s south bay racing chart shows many race courses that cross the navigation channel and go under the bridge. Using Marine Safety’s bridge simulator, we will be able to establish an actual racing scenario as it appears from the bridge of a ship, then test reaction times related to safety.”
“This research and technology transfer will dovetail very well with a companion study currently under way in the upper bay,” said Oviatt. That study, titled “Narragansett Bay Scope, an Examination of Human Interaction with the Marine Environment,” is being conducted by URI’s Department of Marine Affairs under the Sea Grant Program. The results of these two studies aim to provide a comprehensive definition of human activities on the bay.
Marine Safety International, based in New York, is a subsidiary of FlightSafety International, a Berkshire Hathaway company.
UC-METC now offers Ship Simulator, Bridge Teamwork
THE University of Cebu-Maritime Education and Training Center (UC-METC) now offers Ship Simulator and Bridge Teamwork (SSBT) as part of its Maritime Upgrading Courses intended for Marine Deck officers.
Wayne Co. Community College to teach emergency responses
With homeland security a growing concern for communities across metro Detroit, a local college has launched a $5.4-million facility that trains emergency officials in a real-life environment and features the first ship simulator in Michigan.
…
The college’s ship simulator allows first responders to conduct antiterrorism exercises, search for weapons of mass destruction aboard a ship and deal with fires and fuel spills. Nearby sits a 45-foot-long airplane simulator, which allows emergency workers to conduct similar exercises.
UK. Port of Dover to host Maritime Careers Festival
BMF Members have been invited to participate in the 2006 Dover Maritime Careers Festival, which is being held at the Dover Cruise Terminal 2, Western Docks, Dover on the Friday 24th and Saturday 25th March. This is being staged in conjunction with the “Sea Vision (SE) Careers Group South Kent College and Port of Dover” , with the administrative assistance of Viking Recruitment Limited.
The event has been held over the past three years gaining greater interest on each occasion. Organisations attending included Shipping Companies, Marine Recruiting Agencies, the Royal Navy, Universities, Maritime Training Centres, the MCA and other marine related enterprises. Approximately 2000 pupils attended in 2005 from schools within the East Kent area and we can confirm that a number of companies were successful in obtaining deck and engine cadets for their future intakes. Most visitors took advantage of the opportunity of visiting the two vessels moored alongside the Cruise Terminal and talk directly with the crews.
With such a positive response, this year’s the event is aiming to generate a greater presence of shipping companies and marine related organisations. The event will be held at the Cruise Terminal with catering support by South Kent College. We are able to offer the RFA Wave Knight, a 31000 ton Fleet Support Tanker and the MCA tug, Anglian Monarch for people to have a look around. For more hands on activities within the terminal, the Transas ship handling simulator, which proved very popular in 2005 is expected to be available. Projection facilities will be available for promotional video and presentations.
Over 100 schools and colleges with pupils of 16yrs+ have been contacted and their attendance is being confirmed. South Kent Education Business Partnership are assisting with this. There will also be advertisements in the local newspapers and radio. This year the event coincides with the 400th Anniversary of the Dover Harbour Board and the Royal Naval Frigate, HMS Kent is visiting Dover over the weekend as part of the anniversary programme. Admiral the Lord Boyce GCB OBE DL, Lord Warden and Admiral of the Cinque Ports and Constable of Dover Castle.has agreed to open the event at 1100 on Friday 24th March. Local MP’s and Civic Dignitaries have offered support and will attend, diaries permitting.
The event will run from 1100 to 1730 on the Friday and 1000 hours to 1600 on the Saturday allowing pupils to attend with their schools and others who wish to attend, out of school hours, with their family. There are no charges involved for visitor entry. All participants are asked to make the event the most successful to date.
Exhibition space and facilities will be provided with admittance of four representatives. Exhibitors with special equipment i.e. simulators who require additional space or resources should make this clear when booking. Students attending will be offered information packs containing material supplied by exhibitors. Access to the terminal will be controlled by the Port of Dover with limited parking for exhibitors available. This event is supported financially by Donations from Local Authorities and Careers Groups, though exhibitors are asked to contribute a fee of £200-00 inclusive of VAT to guarantee space and cover administration costs. Exhibitors of charitable groups i.e. Sea Cadets are not required pay to support the event though commercial and corporate organisations are expected to donate toward the facilities offered. These funds will contribute to the setup and organisation of hosting the event.
To bring the Friday to a close, a drinks reception is planned for all exhibitors and local business people to attend. Exact arrangements to be advised nearer to the time.
As time is of the essence, space will be allocated on a ‘first come ““ first served’ basis and the deadline for attendance returns will be Wednesday 22nd February 2006.
Wärtsilä Land & Sea Academy, Turku, Finland – Grand Opening
25 January, 2006, Wärtsilä Land & Sea Academy (WLSA) today opened a new training centre in Turku, Finland. This is the latest step for WLSA in its development programme of opening three Academies for global coverage of training and competence management services to ship owners and power plant owners. A new training centre was opened at Subic Bay in the Philippines in November 2005 and the third is located in Fort Lauderdale, USA. The Academies form the spine in the global network of other locations at which WLSA also provides training services.
The new WLSA training centre was opened by Tage Blomberg, Group Vice President and Head of the Wärtsilä Service business. In his remarks, he said “These new training centres of WLSA form an important service to customers, helping them to equip their staff with many skills to further enhance their business.”
Wärtsilä Land & Sea Academy is a part of Wärtsilä Corporation’s Service business. WLSA provides the full scope of training to cater for all the needs of ship owners and power plant owners. WLSA is supported globally by six product training centres.
The WLSA scope of service extends from the basic off-the-shelf, standard product courses to the full range of maritime training in connection with competence and career management.
The new training centre in Turku will hold nearly 200 courses during 2006 with some 2000 participants from around the world. The trainees will take advantage of the training centre’s ship-handling simulator bridges, as well as top-of-the-line engine room simulators, cargo-handling simulators, and steam and gas simulators, which all provide thorough hands-on training. All the simulators can be connected for full ship operation simulation. In addition to well-equipped classrooms, there are workshops for practical training also on engines, propulsion equipment, marine high-voltage electrical equipment, engine room ancillary equipment and control systems.
The provision at the new Turku training centre for supporting the growing LNG transportation market is worth special mentioning. The training centre is equipped to provide training on gas engines as well as LNG cargo handling. This is one of the ways that Wärtsilä Land & Sea Academy continuously develops its services to support the changing business demands of the customers today and for the future.