ABB enables Eckerö Line’s cruise ferry to increase operational safety
ABB’s situational awareness solution, ABB Ability™ Marine Pilot Vision, will allow MS Finlandia to enhance safety during maneuvering and docking, ABB says in a press release.
ABB and Eckerö Line teams will install ABB AbilityTM Marine Pilot Vision on board cruise ferry MS Finlandia with no interruption to the ship’s schedule. In addition to the mechanical interface, ABB Marine & Ports Digital Service teams will support the crew to maximize the value from the system and integrate the additional tool with their current bridge team operations.
ABB Ability™ Marine Pilot Vision offers multiple real-time visualizations of a vessel's surroundings presenting the ship and its environment in ways beyond the capabilities of the human eye.
With ABB Ability™ Marine Pilot Vision is deployed, a virtual model of the ship is superimposed on real surroundings measured using various sensor technologies. This allows for monitoring the vessel and its surroundings from a birds-eye view and switching to other views instantaneously. The solution makes it easier to predict vessel motions with respect to the actual surroundings and gives the user visibility of previously hidden obstacles.
“Our goal is to improve environmental performance and safety, and we worked with ABB to achieve greater efficiency in docking and high traffic situations. Our customers demand high levels of safety in all conditions and this solution enables our crew to provide a reliable service that doesn’t comprise their expectations,” said Daniel Olsén, Technical Manager, Eckerö Group.
“Digitalization provides solutions for existing and newbuild ships alike,” said Jyri Jusslin, Head of Global Service, ABB Marine & Ports. “This retrofit does exactly that. Enhancing docking safety and efficiency will also allow Finlandia’s crew to support their schedule, in conditions that can vary from bright sunlight to dark icy conditions throughout the year.”
The cruise ferry is operated by the Finnish shipping company Eckerö Line and makes return voyages three times daily between Helsinki in Finland and Tallinn in Estonia.
ABB is a pioneering technology leader with a comprehensive offering for digital industries. With a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB is today a leader in digital industries with four customer-focused, globally leading businesses: Electrification, Industrial Automation, Motion, and Robotics & Discrete Automation, supported by its common ABB Ability™ digital platform. ABB’s marketleading Power Grids business will be divested to Hitachi in 2020. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 147,000 employees.
