Hire Marine Software Developers in Basingstoke. 

Okay, we know that Wi-Fi isn’t exactly a cutting edge technology these days, but there are still ships out there that don’t have an available internet connection for seafarers.

For those vessels that do offer the opportunity for their crew to connect to Wi-Fi, on a personal level this plays a huge part in making a seaman or woman’s life at sea more convenient and enjoyable.

And that in turn makes them more productive, and more likely to want to work for that shipping company again.

The introduction of Wi-Fi on board plays a huge role in ensuring that crew are able to maintain regular contact with friends and loved ones at home, as well as stay entertained, or even educated, no matter how far they are from shore.

Talking of education, the very way in which seafarers are trained is also evolving. Take alternate reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) as well as simulator based training as examples.

These are true, ever-evolving technologies of the future and they are being used to train cadets and crew members to allow them to practice their maritime skills from the safety of the land. This, obviously, removes risk and is a lot more financially viable than training at sea.

Meanwhile, gamification encourages engagement through concepts usually associated with video games, such as rules of play, point scoring, and competing with others.

It can also be personalised towards the learner in ways that typical classroom learning cannot be.

Will seafarers be replaced by robots? It’s a question that many are asking and while driverless cars may be making the headlines, so too are marine technology concepts such as autonomous ships.

This move towards sailor-less ships may fill those of a more traditional persuasion with dread, but unmanned vessels that are controlled remotely from virtual bridges on shore are set to become a not too distant reality.

However industry specialists have stated that human crew will always be a necessity. That’s good news for anyone currently working in, or training for, maritime jobs.

Although it may mean that certain jobs in the maritime industry change and evolve as navigators will also be needed on shore.

There are also challenges such as cyber-security issues and adherence to international regulations that will need to be overcome before autonomous ship technology is implemented.

The use of drones in the maritime industry and in seafarer jobs is also being touted as a solution to safety and security concerns. Drones can help drastically decrease the time and expense of monitoring a vessel’s defects so problems can be diagnosed and fixed while a ship is at sea.

Another advantage of drones is that they’re able to enter hostile environments and operate in conditions that are unfavourable to humans.  For on board security, consider how a mobilised drone can be employed to gather more valuable data than multiple cameras located throughout a location.

And while drones may not entirely replace fixed cameras, they are one example of a marine technology that could be used to augment existing security to provide a more complete picture.