{mprestriction ids="1,2"}Taiwan’s Yang Ming Transport Corp is constructing ten new containerships and has selected VisionMaster Net from Sperry Marine as the cornerstone of its digital navigation strategy.

The ten 2,800 teu feeder vessels, which are being built at CSBC Shipyard in Kaohsiung, are expected to begin their sea trials in early 2020. The vessels will feature VisionMaster Net, a networked bridge solution providing simplified deployment, increased system availability and creating the foundation for big data from the bridge to increase operational efficiency, while reducing through-life costs.

VisionMaster Net will provide Yang Ming’s mariners with standardised systems across its fleet. The solution gives the option to leverage secure data transfer between front and back of bridge for remote chart updates as well as sharing the data provided from the navigation systems to different locations on the ship and to operations centres ashore, for analysis and support.

The bridges feature panel PCs to save space and lower the total cost of ownership. They include Sperry Marine’s TotalWatch technology, which enables users switch between Type Approved functions such as radar or ECDIS on a single screen.

“We are very happy to be working with Sperry Marine on our next generation of container feeder ships which are designed around big data and will be the most connected vessels we have built to date,” stated Jackie Ho, chief marine technology officer, Yang Ming Transport Corp. “By combining a new level of navigation technology with the reliability of Sperry’s global service network, we can build a platform for digital navigation that will contribute to safety and efficiency.”

VisionMaster Net is constructed with distributed architecture, making it easier to install than a conventional integrated bridge system, with fewer components to connect and cables to pull and increased resilience through a fully redundant network.

Its modular design allows any combination of equipment to be easily integrated over an Ethernet ring, using standard cables to simplify installation further.

The system offers complete flexibility in how panel PC displays are configured, which take up less space in the bridge design to suit any size of vessel. An intuitive interface minimises the need for re-training and increased software functionality enables more efficient maintenance and upgrades.

“Yang Ming was impressed with the functionality that VisionMaster Net brings them and how it can enable their digital strategy by harnessing data to connect from front to back of bridge and beyond,” said David Watts, regional business development director, Asia-Pacific at Sperry Marine. “As a global shipping company, Yang Ming are also very keen to continue their close relationship with the Sperry Marine’s global service network, with the option to use remote diagnostics when needed.”{/mprestriction}