The transformative power of Industrial IoT solutions has also made an impact on the traditionally conservative maritime industry. The boldest forecasts have compared the future influence of IIoT solutions in the maritime sector as even being at the same level as the steam engine or the introduction of cargo containers were in the past.
The control system for smart navigational safety equipment implemented for our partner Meritaito Ltd serves as an example of our industrial IoT solutions. The system connects the smart equipment anchored in the sea (such as navigational aids and buoys) wirelessly online. The sensors, data collection and data transmission solutions installed in the safety equipment allow Meritaito to monitor their functionality and location as well as to collect information about the conditions at sea. The collected data reduces the maintenance costs of navigational safety equipment to a significant degree and improves the safety of maritime traffic.
Centralised situational awareness implemented with the help of modern cloud services
The control system is based on a mobile-based data collection and communication solution customised for safety devices, which we developed for Meritaito, as well as on the cloud-based SeaDatics control system, which compiles the data collected from the safety devices. The centralised control system was implemented using Microsoft’s global cloud platform solution (Microsoft Azure), which gives the platform a 99.99% availability guarantee and enables the system’s scalability efficiently, both in terms of performance and geographic reach.
The GIS-based map user interface gathers all safety equipment in a map view in which their statuses can be reviewed in real time, either individually or by region. In addition to the real time situation, diverse reports reveal any possible movement in the location of buoys caused by ice during the winter, for example. The need for battery replacements can furthermore be anticipated based on the development of their charge rates.