Navigating the Future of Bridge Simulation

An Analysis of Virtual Reality vs. Traditional Fixed Simulations in Maritime Training. 

In recent years, the maritime industry has witnessed a developing opportunity through major advances in simulation technologies designed to enhance training for ship personnel.  

Among these innovations, portable virtual reality (VR) ship bridge simulators have emerged as a cost-effective solution, promising high levels of immersion and engagement. However, the question remains:  

How do these low-cost portable systems compare to their £multi-million fixed versions? 

This is not intended to be an academic article. It aims to provide an objective review, from a more practical viewpoint of both types of simulators, highlighting their capabilities, benefits, and differentiators. 

About the Author 

As a Master Mariner with over 20 years of command experience, I understand the power of bridge simulation in building and maintaining professional excellence. Effective training in the maritime industry is crucial for ensuring safety, enhancing operational efficiency, and preparing crew members to navigate in complex and often dangerous situations and environments.  

I have attended many training courses and professional assessments on fixed bridge simulators, as well as research projects such as the development of a new RoRo berth in Europoort, Netherlands.  

In recent years I have been involved as the subject matter expert in the development of the world’s first immersive bridge simulator using untethered VR Headsets.  Furthermore, I am a qualified maritime simulator trainer and assessor.  

I believe that I am well placed to write this article having a wide range of practical experience in real world navigational challenges as well as training in both fixed and portable VR bridge simulators. 

History of Maritime Bridge Simulation. 

Simulation training in the maritime industry has evolved significantly over the decades. Initially, training relied on classroom education and hands-on experience on ships, with limited tools for practical skills development. In the 1970’s, the introduction of fixed-base simulators marked a pivotal shift, allowing trainees to experience realistic navigation and ship handling scenarios in a controlled environment. These early simulators used basic computer technology and screen displays. 

The first fixed simulator at Warsash School of Maritime Studies was Britain's first bridge simulator, and it quickly proved to be a huge success. Relying on projected dots of red, green and white 'spot' lights to represent oncoming vessels and buoys, it couldn’t do daylight scenes and could only replicate a maximum of two ships. Only a year after it opened in early 1977, Labour MP Stanley Clinton Davies – later to be a trustee of the Merchant Navy & Airline Officers' Association (MNAOA) – told the House of Commons that he had been lucky to see this first simulator in action, saying that it provided an 'invaluable service' to safety at sea. 

'I found the simulator a most remarkable piece of enterprise,' he told fellow MPs. 'I am in no doubt that the masters who have the most tremendous experience at sea are able, as I learned at first hand from one of them, to reinforce that knowledge and expertise. ' (Nautilus International – Simulators: 45 years of development.)

By the 1980s, advancements in computer graphics and technology led to more sophisticated fixed simulators that could replicate a variety of maritime situations, enhancing the realism and training effectiveness. The adoption of bridge simulators became widespread, focusing on navigation, collision avoidance, emergency response, and research/development. 

With the advent of virtual reality (VR) in the early 2000s, maritime training is now experiencing further transformation. VR simulations deliver immersive and interactive training environments, enabling trainees to engage in realistic scenarios that can be tailored to individual and team learning objectives. 

Today, the maritime industry is increasingly embracing VR and augmented reality (AR) technologies, which continue to enhance training methodologies and prepare crews for the complexities of modern maritime operations. As technology advances, aligned with manpower challenges, the industry’s focus must remain on improving training efficacy and ensuring safety at sea, whilst achieving harmonisation and sustainability targets in equal measure. 

A quick overview of VR terminology 

XR – Extended Reality, an umbrella term that encompasses all of the various immersive technologies. 

VR - Virtual Reality, a fully immersive experience where Learners interact with a 3-dimensional computer generated environment using VR headsets. 

AR – Augmented Reality, technology that overlays digital content onto the real world to enhance the user’s perception of their environment. 

MR – Mixed Reality, A blend of VR and AR allowing real and virtual elements to coexist and interact in real time. 

Simulation in Maritime Training 

The primary goal of simulation in maritime training is to prepare crew members for real-life situations they may encounter at sea. Fixed simulators have been the standard in maritime training institutions for years, offering realistic bridge operations, environmental conditions, and emergency scenarios. These platforms provide multisensory experiences, including physical controls, dynamic 2D visuals, and even ship movement. 

Conversely, portable VR simulators bring this technology to a wider audience by utilising affordable equipment, VR headsets and hand controllers, that can be accessible irrespective of geographical location. VR technology enables Learners to engage in realistic scenarios without the need for large physical spaces or complex hardware setups. This minimal requirement of training resources is particularly appealing to organisations with budget constraints. VR bridge simulation, as an additional maritime training resource, has the potential to greatly increase the availability of, and accessibility to, simulation time for seafarers in an affordable and sustainable way. 

Bridge simulation provides the opportunity for seafarers to gain hands on experience of complex navigational challenges in a risk-free environment, building knowledge and experience at a far greater rate than they would be able to achieve on board their operational vessels. Regular simulator training and assessment allows the individual to maintain their skills at a high level of professional excellence thereby helping to avoid skill fade and complacency creep. 

Understanding Simulation Types 

Fixed Maritime Bridge Simulator

Traditional fixed maritime bridge simulators 

• Fixed simulators physically replicate the layout and functionality of a real ship's bridge, including navigation instruments, radar systems, and communication equipment, allowing trainees to familiarise themselves with real-world setups. 

• They use computer-generated graphics on 2 dimensional displays to create varied maritime scenarios, providing a realistic backdrop for training. 

• Learners can select from a library of pre-programmed training scenarios that cover a wide range of situations, including navigation challenges, emergency responses, and collision avoidance. 

• Instructors can manipulate scenarios in real-time, adjusting factors like environmental conditions, vessel traffic, and mechanical failures to assess trainees' decision-making skills and reactions to unexpected circumstances. 

• Expressive information comes from the body language derived from Learners being physically in the same space. 

• Fixed simulators can accommodate multiple trainees simultaneously, enabling group exercises that require teamwork and communication, such as search and rescue operations or coordination during emergencies. 

• These simulators integrate with bridge equipment like RADAR, ECDIS, GPS, and AIS, emulating real navigation instruments and enhancing learning through familiar interfaces. 

• Fixed simulators provide a controlled environment and usually found in maritime academies training centres, and Maritime research institutions. 

Virtual reality (VR) maritime bridge simulators  

VASCO - Kilo's Maritime VR Bridge Simulator

• Portable VR simulators offer a dynamic and immersive multi-user training experience.  

• VR bridge simulators create a 360-degree 3-dimensional immersive experience, allowing trainees to feel as if they are on a ship’s bridge in real time, enhancing situational awareness and engagement. 

• They use advanced graphics and physics engines to simulate realistic maritime environments creating a lifelike training atmosphere. 

• Trainees can interact with various elements in the environment, such as ship controls, navigation instruments, and communications equipment, fostering hands-on learning and decision-making skills. 

• Expressive information comes from the body language derived from computer generated avatars in the VR. In combination with full verbal communication.  

• Instructors can create and customise a wide range of training scenarios tailored to specific learning objectives, including emergency situations, navigational challenges, and bridge resource management exercises. 

• Trainees can safely practice emergency procedures and crisis management without the risks associated with real-life situations, improving their confidence and readiness for actual maritime operations. 

• VR simulators allow multiple Learners to participate simultaneously, even from dispersed physical locations, facilitating teamwork and communication exercises that reflect the collaborative nature of crew operations. 

• The immersive nature of VR training in all sectors of industry and commerce has been shown to improve knowledge retention and skill application, as it engages multiple senses and creates memorable experiences. 

• Advanced VR simulators are now capable of delivering empirical data via eye tracking software and other data analytical tools that accurately capturel performance metrics, providing valuable insights for instructors to tailor adaptive training sessions. 

• A key benefit of VR Simulators is the portability ability aspect of the capability that provides an onboard simulator for multiple use, without any dependency on ships systems. VR simulators enable remote training opportunities, allowing trainees to practice skills from anywhere, making training more accessible and flexible, especially for those in remote locations. 

• With VR Simulation, maintaining watchkeeping standards / mission rehearsal / promotion assessment / objective evaluation of competence has become achievable at the waterfront and these are just some of the use cases that are being advanced across the maritime sector. 

The two types of simulators share similar training opportunities. There are, however, significant differences in some areas. The features that both solutions provide make maritime bridge simulators a powerful tool for modern maritime training, enhancing the learning experience while improving safety and operational effectiveness at sea.  

Both types of bridge simulator clearly have their place in the future of maritime training and VR simulation should be seen as an effective additional training tool that will vastly increase the availability of and opportunity for simulation training to seafarers. VR bridge simulation for the foreseeable future must be seen as a significant and complimentary capability to fixed simulators, within the current hardware and software limitations.  

Key Criteria for Bridge Simulator Comparison 

When reviewing these two types of simulators, several key criteria must be considered: 

1. Realism and Immersion 

2. Cost Efficiency 

3. Accessibility and Portability 

4. Customisability 

5. Feedback and Assessment 

6. User Experience 

1. Realism and Immersion 

Fixed Simulator: Fixed simulators offer high fidelity through advanced 2D visual systems, real physical bridge equipment, and real-time weather conditions. Participants feel fully immersed due to the lifelike environment and multi-sensory stimuli, including motion platforms that simulate ship movements. 

Portable VR Simulator: Modern VR simulators can provide impressive realism. The 3-dimensional environment mirrors real life in terms of immersion, the feeling of “being there” is immediate and compelling.  

2. Cost Efficiency 

Fixed Simulator: The investment required for a fixed simulator can range from hundreds of thousands to several million pounds. These simulators are often equipped with cutting-edge technology and can serve large groups, but the through-life costs restrict affordability to the few. 

Portable VR Simulator: Portable systems represent a more accessible financial option, costing a fraction of the traditional fixed simulator. This reduced cost allows organisations to allocate funds to other key areas, such as instructor training or additional educational materials. 

3. Accessibility and Portability 

Fixed Simulator: These simulators require dedicated spaces equipped for their operation, whilst operating to finite capacity, making them less accessible for smaller training organisations or those in remote locations. 

Portable VR Simulator: The light weight and compact size of VR headsets provide unparalleled flexibility, permitting training to occur anywhere/anytime, from classrooms, to vessels, workshops or even directly to the student’s home. This flexibility means training can take place closer to where crew members work, leading to greatly increased learning opportunities. 

4. Customisability 

Fixed Simulator: Customisation can be complex and expensive, often requiring significant investment to adapt the simulator to different vessels or geographical locations. However, they do offer the ability to modify the simulations based on specific operational protocols.  

Portable VR Simulator: Compared to fixed simulators the cost of customisation for different vessel types and or geographical locations is comparatively low and readily achieved via agile modifications to the software. VR systems provide greater ease in customising training scenarios, enabling users to quickly adapt content based on the learner’s needs. This continuous evolution keeps training relevant and engaging. 

5. User Experience 

 Fixed Simulator: Learners may appreciate the robust, tangible environment, which promotes engagement. Training with real equipment can lead to increased confidence with ship handling techniques in advance of navigating actual ships. 

Portable VR Simulator: The immersive benefits of VR are being realised across the learning and technology sector and as with all simulator types, session activity should be conducted within fixed timeframes to permit the learning experience to be valuable, with a period of reflection factored in. 

Visual Parallax — A Key Advantage of VR Simulation

This an interesting topic when comparing the two types of bridge simulation and something that I, personally, hadn’t appreciated the impact of until experiencing VR.  

Visual parallax is a depth perception cue that helps us understand distances in a three-dimensional environment. It occurs because objects that are nearer to us appear to move more quickly across our field of vision compared to objects that are farther away when we change our viewpoint. 

When you look at a scene and move your head or shift your position, close objects shift relative to their background more than distant ones. For example, if you're looking at a tree close to you while driving, the tree will seem to move against the distant hills as you pass by. This change in position of objects relative to each other helps your brain gauge how far away they are. 

In 3D graphics and virtual reality, visual parallax is present and greatly enhances realism. For instance, layers of images can move at different speeds to create the illusion of depth, mimicking this natural phenomenon. Overall, it’s an important aspect of how we perceive and navigate our environments! 

Fixed simulators using 2D monitors to recreate the training environment cannot replicate visual parallax.  

Case Study: The U.S. Navy’s Adoption of VR Bridge Simulation

The US Navy adopted a military VR Bridge simulator based on the commercial model, VASCO produced by Kilo Solutions Ltd. An academic study compared the effectiveness of the VR solution with the Fixed simulators.  

To Reality and Beyond: Employing XR to Facilitate Tacit Knowledge Flow  

Jon Brewster, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey CA, 

This study investigated whether Extended Reality (XR), delivered through low-cost commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) head-mounted displays, could facilitate such knowledge flow for U.S. Navy (USN) bridge teams. A within-subjects design compared the Office of Naval Research Technical Solutions’ XR based Virtual Bridge and Nautical Trainer (VIBRaNT) to the Navy’s multi-million-dollar physical mockup system, the Navigation, Seamanship, and Shiphandling Trainer (NSST). Results showed that VIBRaNT XR compared favourably with NSST in perceptions of cognitive workload, system usability, and training preparation. Notably, XR-first training improved perceived mockup performance, suggesting XR has a positive impact on mockup training.  

These findings support XR as a viable, portable, and cost-effective complement to traditional training systems to build tacit knowledge in teams performing high-risk operations. 

Conclusion Advancing Bridge Resource Management Through VR

In summary, both portable virtual reality ship bridge simulators and multimillion-pound fixed simulators have their unique advantages and limitations.  

Having experienced both types of simulation for BRM and ColReg training, my objective assessment, based on my previously defined experience, is that VR simulators are equally as effective as fixed simulators for this type of training, the presence of visual parallax as discussed in this article in some way makes it better. 

For ship handling the VR solution is good enough to teach basic principles in a generic model, but the advantage of the fixed simulator is that it can replicate more ship specific models due to availability of much greater computer power, this I am sure will change as VR technology advances.  

For institutions with limited budgets or those seeking flexible training solutions, portable VR simulators provide an effective alternative. Ultimately, the choice between the two will depend on an organisation’s specific training needs, budgetary constraints, and accessibility requirements. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each type of simulator, decision-makers can make informed choices that best fit their training objectives and the needs of their seafarers.  

Integrating VR within core curricula will provide leaders with an opportunity to measure; The shift in behavioural paradigms, incident reduction at sea, and ongoing evaluation of bridge watchkeeping standards, where targeted training interventions can be applied thereafter. 

The Low Cost / High Impact component offered by multi-user immersive environments for individual and team development can have immediate and measurable benefits that are entirely complimentary to the facilities available within the pre-existing fixed simulator solution. 

As technology continues to evolve, the lines between these categories may blur and reduce, providing training organisations with the opportunity to free up fixed simulator capacity for advanced activity, such as ship specific ship handling training whilst utilising the complimentary capability offered by VR for team activity, such as BRM and ColRegs.

Fostering a rigorous, objective evaluation of training tools is crucial to keep the mariners of tomorrow equipped and ready to handle the challenges of the sea. 

Virtual reality bridge simulation is revolutionising the maritime industry by enhancing training efficiency, enhancing decision-making skills, and significantly improving safety standards.

As vessels become increasingly automated, these immersive simulations will provide crew members with realistic, high-stakes environments to hone their navigational and crisis management skills. By fostering a deeper understanding of complex maritime operations, VR technology will not only bridge the skills gap in the workforce but also pave the way for safer and more efficient shipping practices in an ever-evolving global trade landscape.