Introduction
The Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) markets have grown exponentially in the recent decade, with the expectations of future growth also being high. It has been estimated that both AR and VR will grow into a $95 billion market by the year 2025 (Markopoulos, Lauronen, & Luimula, 2019). While the high demand for such technologies is derived mainly from creative industries, they have also gained popularity in other business sectors, including engineering, training and education, medicine, logistics, transportation, and others. In education and training, AR and VR appear to be highly promising because they allow using interactive content that can be accessible by anyone at any time, thus facilitating an immersive training experience.
Virtual reality (VR) refers to an immersive and interactive system on the basis of computable information (Mallam, Nazir, & Renganayagalu, 2019). As an interactive technology, VR allows the centers of training to educate their students within environments that immerse them into simulated scenarios that they could have experienced in real life (Bertram & Kakalis, 2015). Augmented reality (AR) is a tool that allows adding interactive elements to a live and real-world environment using such technologies as computers, phones, tablets, and headsets. With the help of AR, users can manipulate computer-generated objects in a three-dimensional space, thus having everything visible as if it were in front of them, and even more because of the capacity to see inside objects and manipulate their size. Overall, AR and VR technologies provide a dynamic and efficient alternative to the traditional approach to maritime training. Importantly, because such training occurs within risk-free environments, it is possible to use abundant scenarios allowing to sharpen trainees’ skills.
In the context of maritime training, AR and VR technologies have been sparking interest not only due to their practical application but also their ability to interest and inspire trainees. Such organizations as the Aboa Mare Maritime Academy and the Game Lab of the Turku University of Applied Sciences have performed extensive studies on the application of VR for maritime training. Moreover, the Survey Simulator developed by DNV has shown to be instrumental for helping train personnel on how to handle ship safety and achieve more effective fleet management. Solutions for autonomous city ferries have been developed alongside remote operations simulators and other varied training technologies (Markopoulos et al., 2019). Both institutions have reported continuously working on developing education tools as well as content. For example, the Arctic Simulator Training Program (ASTP) project is an enhanced tool that works on the basis of simulation that can be used for training icebreaking and navigation in the winter (Markopoulos et al., 2019). The project also included pedagogical tools for students and instructors. ASTP has allowed training in autonomous ship operations, various procedures, and technologies within the simulator that played over diverse scenarios.
The expanding need for VR simulators in maritime training is associated with the requirement of an effective and efficient knowledge transfer in a large business area. In maritime training and instruction, theoretical information serves only as a basis for practical skills. The trainees must have hands-on practical experience carrying out various tasks to know how to act in real-life situations. Notably, simulators and VR are used in maritime training for situations that are risky, dangerous, and should not happen in order to sharpen the decision-making and problem-solving skills of the trainees (Markopoulos et al., 2019). Simulations represent a hands-on method, the outcomes of which are measurable and repeatable, which is an essential part of long-term learning. Notably, debriefing is a crucial part of practical learning that uses a simulator as it allows for establishing standards for the system of virtual learning feedback and its tracking. If feedback is carried out improperly, it adversely influences training sessions and trainees’ knowledge.
Hurdles in Implementation
Despite the promising results that AR and VR can bring to maritime training, there are industry hurdles that may limit their implementation. The development of the maritime industry faces essential challenges, with the majority of them associated with the use of advanced technologies (Hand, 2019). These include modern control systems and autonomous modules of shipping, blockchain technologies, data theft and cyberattacks, safety culture, decarbonization, and a blue economy (Markopoulos et al., 2019). When it comes to the challenges related to the safety culture, research has shown that 49% of maritime organizations that have effective cultures are less likely to experience accidents and 60% of them make fewer errors (Markopoulos et al., 2019). Despite these findings, not all organizations seek to implement AR and VR technologies for training because of their higher costs and the need for specialized training personnel to carry out the educational programs.
The airline industry represents an example of how simulations can be used for testing various skills and knowledge in a risk-free environment. However, in the maritime sector, this is not the case, with the majority of the training relying on the actual time that individuals physically spend on training sessions (Hand, 2019). During such sessions, AR and VR are rarely used as most of the experience during training is expected to be gained from senior personnel on board who are not necessarily skilled educators and do not possess the skills for training (Markopoulos et al., 2019). The industry insists on the implementation of ‘manual’ training in contrast to the ‘digital’ or ‘automated’ one that airlines adopt in their training (Bertram & Plowman, 2020). On modern vessels that are highly technology-driven, the manual approach may not always be the best option because trainees will inevitably experience practical challenges.
Even when maritime trainees complete their manual training and gain the needed skills and experience, they are rarely capable of handling risky and unexpected scenarios. If they are given opportunities to use simulators, they will engage in proactive training that is expected from highly skilled operators and managers. Therefore, it is imperative for the maritime training personnel to recognize the immense benefits of advanced simulation training and effectively introduce it, drawing from the lessons learned from their aviation industry colleagues. Another challenge is associated with the fact that for introducing AR and VR training on a consistent basis, the wider maritime industry should recognize the benefits of simulations to justify investments in technologies and standardize such a training practice.
Frontier Application from Research and Development
Despite the rapid development of AR and VR technologies, the number of commercial frontier applications remains limited. Hand (2019) reported that many Research and Development (R&D) projects found that due to the specificity of the created digital products and their varied requirements, it is challenging to transfer the applied solutions into practice directly. Notably, the simulations tend to handle only a specified number of tasks and need specific requirements to work correctly, such as lighting conditions or superimposing object techniques. Implementing the technologies at sea is highly complicated because the natural environment can be highly hostile and demanding.
For example, during the frontier application of AR tools, it is necessary to take into account the harsh conditions, with the application having to consider the water as an environment, extreme temperatures, intense sunlight, as well as strong movements of the ship due to waves (Templin, Popielarczyk, & Gryszko, 2022). Besides, because AR uses wireless networks for transmitting data, the speed of transmission can cause a problem due to signal coverage limitations. It causes issues with the access of databases in real-time and also affects the overall architecture of mobile applications. Since there are quite a few challenges in the frontier application of AR and VR, it can be concluded that the technologies have not yet developed in this area, with the need to boost the intensity of R&D efforts in maritime training.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The unexpected but continuous incidents that can occur at sea represent the need for strengthening different safety viewpoints outside of traditional thinking. Safety is the number one priority for maritime organizations, and the use of simulators can offer an effective contribution to strengthening safety capabilities at sea. The first advantage of AR and VR for maritime training is that it is expected to provide trainees with a high level of practical experience in dealing with different scenarios. By engaging in simulations, trainees will get a better understanding of which decision-making processes and actions they should carry out in order to positively affect the situation (Bertram & Plowman, 2020). Another advantage is that AR and VR simulations are universal in the application during training. This means that even the most advanced and skilled professionals can use them to strengthen their knowledge and skills on how to prioritize challenging traffic and emergency situations and processes.
Visualization is a significant advantage of simulations because it allows strengthening the understanding of different processes and objects by seeing and experiencing them in real-time. For example, the MarSEVR tool provides a training scenario of a watch change and a collision avoidance situation (Markopoulos & Luimula, 2020). In the scenario, the intention is to enable the trainees to use their attention to the status and settings of equipment and take action to avoid collision. Through visualization, the trainees can better understand where to look to check equipment indicators and what actions to carry out to avoid risky situations.
Another advantage of AR and VR training is the high engagement of trainees as well as their knowledge retention. The overall learning experience is often more engaging and enjoyable because there is a game element to it. The technological impact of AR and VR is such that it adopts the same principles of design as the game industry, which creates immersive scenarios to ensure user engagement and make them understand the correct decision-making factors in a gamified context (Templin et al., 2022). After the completion of an exercise in AR or VR software, debriefing is carried out by the instruction, including the playback of the entire experience. Debriefing allows for reaching advanced analytics necessary for evaluating and improving training programs in the future based on their effectiveness in training personnel.
The disadvantage of using simulations on the basis of AR or VR technologies is that they are artificial. No matter how realistic the training will be, it may not always have the same outcomes as being trained or working at sea. In real life, there may be such factors as stress, poor physical health, and a lack of experience that result in a negative outcome even though the simulation has been previously done correctly. Because the technology of simulations is rigid, it lacks the flexibility inherent in traditional training methods in which trainees can ask questions and give suggestions about the processes. With AR and VR, it is not possible to make training adaptable to a specific moment because the learning is limited by the capabilities of the software.
An important disadvantage of using simulator technologies in training is that they are costly, which means that organizations have to allocate significant budget portions in order to introduce the method into their standard practice of preparing maritime professionals. Many organizations are opposed to AR and VR for this reason as not only the introduction of technologies is costly but also their maintenance and the need for ongoing updates for their smooth operation (Bertram & Plowman, 2020). In the long run, simulation technologies can be highly cost-effective for training maritime personnel, and it is rather the costs of their initial introduction that cause some issues among organizations, especially those dedicated to traditional training methods.
The Business Case for AR and VR Implementation
The costs of implementing an AR or VR training course aimed at maritime professionals ranging from captains to ship surveyors depend on a variety of factors. According to data available online, a pilot training program that employs virtual reality technologies can cost between $40,000 and $60,000 (Roundtable Learning, 2020). Notably, pilot programs are restricted in terms of their capabilities and customization, but they remain the most cost-effective way to start with simulation training with a relatively low investment. In the case of maritime organizations that are resistant to training through digital simulation, pilot programs are highly recommended because they allow to understand the entire process of developing training content. A pilot program can also help determine whether the learners receive the technology well and are engaged in the process of training using the new tool. Besides, an AR or VR training tool implemented in the test mode can help a maritime organization have a better grasp of its learning objectives that could be met with the help of the technology. Finally, a pilot program will be helpful in determining whether the tool is scalable to the needs of an organization.
When a designated tech company builds pilot projects for maritime training, they are likely to design them as though they represent a part of a program that will be implemented in the future on a full scale. Once the starting point is available, it becomes easier to expand on the activities embedded into the software depending on the needs of their clients. When the client is ready to move beyond the pilot program and introduce a full-scale training approach, they are expected to pay between $50,000 and $150,000 (Roundtable Learning, 2020). Due to the complexity of maritime training simulations, it is likely that an organization will have to pay rather more than less. The costs of maintenance will depend on the extent to which one desires to expand AR and VR software capabilities, with the prices ranging between $2,000 to $8,000 per quarter (Roundtable Learning, 2020).
The price that one has to pay for an AR or VR training program for maritime specialists will depend on the instructional design of the solution. Specifically, the developers will take into account the learning objectives of the program, the scope of script development, critical metrics for trainees, as well as the expectations of AR or VR interactions. In addition, when it comes to VR content, it is expected that clients will have to invest in VR headsets in their training programs, which offer great levels of flexibility. One headset can cost between $500 and $1,200 depending on their characteristics, and it is recommended to work with vendors specializing in such products to get the best deal to ensure that the headsets work properly with the developed software. In terms of AR training, headsets are not necessary because the software is compatible with tablets, computers, phones, and other devices that are available to the organization. The software developers may create training solutions that are specifically compatible with the organization’s hardware, which can cut some of the costs at the initial stages of the project. While AR offers more mobility, they are not as immersive compared to VR tools which require additional investment in hardware besides the software.
An example of VR training implementation in practice is the training solution for HTC Vive virtual reality glasses emulating a hypothetical scenario that could occur on a containership. For the tasks that the trainees had to accomplish during the training experience, the glasses were used to provide an immersive solution that is portable and can be brought on board of ships. Besides, the solution can allow for the tracking and tracing of users’ behaviors in risky situations and provide feedback on the actions taken (Markopoulos et al., 2019). Notably, when the program was at its first stages of implementation, all behavioral data recorded during training was stored locally and was coded and anonymous. At later stages, a backend system was created to include more options for learning analytics and various dashboard services. The additional options allowed program administrators to detect any safety issues and challenges that users have been encountering during simulations. It is expected that the future variations of the program will be strengthened with the help of Artificial Intelligence technology to improve the capabilities of the training on various processes associated with maritime operations.
Conclusion
To conclude, AR and VR solutions for training maritime personnel are highly flexible in terms of their implementation. It is possible for organizations to begin introducing pilot programs and extend them with the help of additional software and hardware. For those opposed to change and modifications in traditional training, the main goal is to begin trying out simulation solutions for training and adjust them based on further needs and capabilities of personnel. Systems that are used in training can consist of different learning activities and be developed specifically for training certain activities in both emergency and non-emergency situations. It is expected that the future of maritime training will significantly benefit from the implementation of innovative technologies that have been previously overlooked despite being broadly used in the aviation industry. With the availability of advanced hardware and software, it is possible to use AR and VR simulations to address the core challenges and provide reliable frameworks for the standardization of training practices in the maritime industry.
References
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