A new networked, radio mesh technology that could offer an affordable solution to one of shipping’s biggest safety challenges, writes Charlie Bartlett on Motorship.
Network of battery radios
Being a network of battery-powered radios which can plug directly into an ordinary wall socket without requiring any cabling, In:Range can be installed on even the largest vessels in a matter of a few minutes. It communicates with a central hub and its energy and frequency usage is comparable with a walkie-talkie.
No more cabling
Combined with small wearable wristbands for each crew member or passenger, the system can be used to track the locations of personnel, plotting their position on a ship-wide blueprint map. The system will also work overboard a d has rated coverage distance of 1km. But, Nesje says that they have seen it to cover 3 or 4km.
Reliable companion
The system will be invaluable in an emergency scenario, as the company claims, and especially in situations when ships cable networks are damaged by fire, or individual crew members are incapacitated.
Scanreach believes that the In-Range system is affordable enough to become the norm throughout various maritime industries including oil and gas, cruise, and deepsea shipping.
Tested on North sea gaint
With a test installation on board North Sea Giant, an OSV with 120 crew on board, the system has around 100 plug-in radios around the ship.
“We have coverage in every part of the ship, apart from in the individual cabins,” says Nesje, adding that In-Range could be set up in each cabin for this purpose if requested. “The map can show that there is a crew member somewhere in one of four-or-five cabins, so in an emergency situation the crew could search these cabins very quickly.”
Economical installations
Thisinstallation on North Sea Giant costs lower than US$1,000s, which shows that Scanreach is a has an affordable safety and positioning system that will be ubiquitous in a few years’ time, analogous to airbags in cars. “We have worked with the Norwegian coast guard, and they are extremely happy with the system. They have the ambition to use these on all Norwegian naval vessels,” says Nesje.
Alert at your fist
Some fish farming vessels have an onboard fish factory. They have lots of dangerous equipments and accidents are very common.
Instead of a wall-mounted button, what if any individual crew member could stop the machine with the press of a button on his wristband? Or, perhaps the chief engineer could have a vibration on his wristband when the engine alarm goes off.
Energy concerns
“We still only have a prototype version of the wristband – this would be some sort of Fitbit-sized wearable. Battery life is an issue with [consumer wearable] devices since they last for 5 days which is unacceptable, and you can’t have someone take their bracelet off to charge at night, otherwise, if there is an alarm that night, the device will be useless. This is not a problem for us though – we have systems which can last for 8 months.”
Scanreach is experimenting with equipping the wearables with more complex systems such as heart-rate monitoring, gas and temperature sensors. “More functions means less battery life. We need it to last for at least one shift – that’s 6 weeks.”
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Source: The Motor Ship
