A triple partnership between MARIN, Cruden and Tree C Technology has forged the basis for a new Fast Small Ship Simulator for the Dutch Ministry of Defence.
Instructors of fast small vessels such as the Fast Raiding, Interception and Special Forces Crafts (FRISC) currently have to endure severe vibrations and shocks of up to 9G over an average of 1000 hours per year.
In two years’ time, the plan is for operators of these types of craft to be trained using a Fast Small Ship Simulator (FSSS) to make them more aware of these potentially damaging scenarios and how they can be minimised or prevented.
The Fast Small Ship Simulator project aims to develop a simulator geared specifically to the operator as actor in a dynamic nautical setting in which broaching, slamming, surfing, planing and capsizing as well as the interaction with other vessels or objects (quay, beach, pier, jetty etc) function as the key elements of risk during the operation of small, fast manoeuvrable craft.
This project is a joint venture between DMO, the military equipment arm of the Dutch Ministry of Defence, Dutch research institute MARIN and suppliers Cruden and Tree C Technology. The naval defence school DVS and the Surface Assault and Training Group (SATG) of the Royal Navy are participating in this project as key end-users.
The agreement was signed for the Ministry of Defence by Major General Peter Dohmen in his capacity as chairman of CODEMO, the committee overseeing the development of defence equipment. The general revealed that private enterprise, particularly small and medium-sized businesses, are encouraged to submit development proposals to the Defence Material Development Committee. Should they be judged to be relevant initiatives with the prospect of generating returns for Defence, then CODEMO will give the go-ahead. The FSSS project is one such initiative.
The FSSS project is unique in its high degree of technological innovation as it is the first in the world to link advanced manoeuvre- and seagoing simulation technology, modern motion alignment and state-of-the-art visualisation of conditions in an integral way.
MARIN (the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands) is an internationally operating maritime research institute. MARIN conducts its research on the basis of numerical simulations, model testing, nautical training and full size trials.
Cruden is the leading designer and manufacturer of professional, interactive, motion-based driving and racing simulators. Originating from the Fokker Aircraft Company in the 1990s, its heritage is in the development of professional simulator technology for the automotive, aerospace, rail and marine industries.
Tree C Technology BV provides real time simulators for the offshore and remote handling industry, based on proprietary VR4MAX visualization and simulation technology.
By Jake Frith
