Milestones

Kongsberg Maritime has unveiled its latest generation ship’s bridge simulator, K-Sim Navigation, which meets the requirements of the most demanding navigation training for merchant, offshore and naval vessels. Designed for the future of advanced and integrated simulation training, K-Sim Navigation is based on a new cutting-edge technology platform enabling more realistic training scenarios and enhanced user benefits for both instructors and students.

K-Sim Navigation features an advanced physical engine and state-of-the-art hydrodynamic modelling, allowing vessels, objects and equipment to behave and interact as in real life. To enhance the realism further, a sophisticated new visual system is included, bringing vessels and objects in all possible weather conditions to life.

The result of these improvements is, according to Terje Heierstad, Global Product Manager, Kongsberg Maritime Simulation: “A fully immersive and optimum quality simulation experience. It’s a step change in maritime simulation. The shipping sector doesn’t stand still, and neither do we. Using our 40 years of simulation experience, it was our goal to take ship’s bridge simulation to the next level.”

K-Sim Navigation has been developed with the user experience firmly in focus. In addition to the realistic environment for students, instructors benefit from an award winning* instructor system designed to facilitate ease of use. It features an intuitive and modern educational tool utilising a modified ECDIS chart as a starting point with drag & drop function for creating exercises. The instructor system also includes automatic recording and an advanced assessment system for ensuring optimal training and feedback standards.

“Instructors are perhaps the key link in the training value chain, so we wanted to give them the ability to create the most advanced training scenarios, with the utmost efficiency and ease,” explains Heierstad. “Flexibility is also crucial, giving instructors the capacity to adjust exercise parameters before and during simulations to provide the best quality training for every individual student.”

K-Sim Navigation’s flexibility extends to hardware, with a fully scalable range of options available – from a PC based desktop system, through to a full mission bridge simulator. The system, built on the same core technology platform as the market leading K-Sim Offshore simulator, can easily be integrated with other Kongsberg Maritime simulators (including crane, offshore, engine, cargo, ballast and DP) to enable a comprehensive range of training scenarios.

Already approved to DNV GL Class-A standards, K-Sim Navigation allows maritime schools and academies to extend their available portfolio of courses, while in addition, providing them with the controlled environment necessary for undertaking valuable research projects.

“We believe that the new functionality and realism we have developed for K-Sim Navigation is an essential building block for enhancing sea skills and thus providing safe, secure and reliable vessel handling. Which, at the end of the day, is what maritime simulation is all about,” concludes Heierstad.

*Award for Design Excellence from the Norwegian Design Council.