Problem
In an investigation report of an accident that involved a helmsman applying the wrong helm, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau stated: THIS TYPE OF ERROR IS NOT UNCOMMON.
Exxon Valdez
In 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil spill was one of the biggest environmental disasters in history. It resulted from insufficient helm orders' monitoring.
Costa Concordia
Did you know that disaster of Costa Concordia happened due to the helmsman applying the helm on the wrong side shortly before the impact?
How Does It Work?
Helm Order Monitor was made with simplicity in mind
Solution
The Helm Order Monitor integrates automatic speech recognition with bridge context to alert the team about potential order handling errors. It also applies speech emotion recognition to identify and highlight elevated stress levels on the navigational bridge.
Computer Components
Marine rated, 24/7 duty edge computer for bridge environments with low power, fanless operation and operator HMI; exact components and approvals depend on installation and class.
Microphone
An array microphone front end captures bridge speech in far field conditions; mountings and array geometry are installation specific, with local processing for robustness in shipboard noise.
Automatic Speech Recognition
The system applies domain adapted automatic speech recognition tuned to maritime phraseology; acoustic setup and model choice vary by deployment and are optimised for bridge conditions.
Speech Emotion Recognition
A specialised speech emotion module estimates vocal stress to assist the bridge team; when elevated levels are sustained, the system can highlight the condition as an advisory for situational awareness.
Many maritime accidents stem from compromised decision-making under intense stress on ships' navigational bridges. A notable example is the MV Ever Given's grounding in the Suez Canal on March 23, 2021, illustrating the critical impact of such high-pressure situations. The six-day blockade of the Suez Canal had a profound impact on the global economy, causing daily losses estimated at around $10 billion.
The attached report details incidents of shouting and confusion among the bridge team, indicative of high-stress levels. There were moments of impaired decision-making, highlighted by the abrupt and reactive maneuvers to counteract the vessel's drift and the miscommunications between the pilot and the bridge team. These stress factors underscore the intense pressure and challenging circumstances faced by the crew during the incident, affecting their ability to effectively manage the situation.
Benefits
Alerts
Introduction of automated advisories otherwise not available in manual mode steering
Bridging the gap
Implementation of automated advisories otherwise not available in manual mode steering
Analytics
Analytical review of recorded sessions for training and performance benchmarking
Speech emotion recognition
Can flag elevated stress levels, a known contributor to navigational incidents
Situational awareness
Assists monitoring the execution of orders when crew concentration drops
Language barrier
Clear, standard phraseology reduces the burden on the listener
LANGUAGE BARRIER
In the attached study conducted by Transport Canada, when marine pilots were asked whether language barriers make it challenging to communicate orders to the helmsman on foreign-registered vessels, 20% reported that it “often” resulted in difficulty communicating.
In the same study, pilots stated that the major problem in pilotage anywhere in the international scene is the language barrier. They fear that it will again be a case of the marine industry experiencing accidents before any positive action is taken and regulations implemented.
Thanks to rapid advances in ASR technology, the Helm Order Monitor is now in a unique position to become an example of positive action towards language barrier problem solutions in the marine industry.
Register your interest
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