AR Simulator Added to Pilot Training at Smartship Australia

Force Technology won a deal to deliver its SimFlex4 AR solution as part of an extensive upgrade for the Queensland-based maritime simulation and training facility, Smartship Australia, which focuses on professional pilotage training and development. Smartship's facility in Brisbane includes five marine simulators, including two full mission bridges, one Tug bridge, and two-part task simulators.

FORCE Technology’s SimFlex simulator was originally selected when Smartship Australia was first established in 2011. Since then, the facility has supported every significant port development project in Queensland. Smartship Australia also delivers services to other states in Australia as well as international customers in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and Thailand.

The simulation center upgrade commenced in October 2023 and will result in the installation and commissioning of an augmented-reality (AR) simulator in the first quarter of 2024. The simulator platform is ready for FORCE Technology’s upcoming DEN-Mark2 mathematical model release in 2024, which will offer unprecedented model accuracy as well as enhanced line forces calculations, a major advantage when operating with tugboats and conducting advanced mooring studies, for example. In use for more than 35 years, the DEN-Mark1 mathematical model is renowned for its accuracy, but DEN-Mark2 will introduce a major technology leap in fidelity and physical capabilities.