Research project targets enhanced simulator activities

From a shipping perspective many functions on modern vessels have been automated but a ship is still, to a great extent, a human controlled system.

A new €3.3 million research project, funded by Horizon Europe, is targeting the improvement of the effectiveness and accessibility of simulator based education, safety, security, and the performance of maritime operations.

This innovative initiative is called Integrating Adaptive Learning in Maritime Simulator- Based Education and Training with Intelligent Learning System (i-MASTER). The approach has a primary objective to develop an Intelligent Learning System (ILS) with maritime learning analytics and adaptive learning function for students engaged in both remote and on-site maritime simulator based education and training.

The i-MASTER Intelligent Learning System comprises three specific innovations:

1) Digitalised navigational performance assessment

2) AI-enabled intelligent learning for remote (desktop) ship bridge simulator training

3) AI-enabled intelligent learning for on-site full mission ship bridge simulator training

The Finnish-German/ German-Finnish Fraunhofer Innovation Platform for Smart Shipping at Novia University of Applied Sciences (FIP-S2@Novia) is one of the core partners in i-MASTER, with responsibility for the maritime learning analytics development and the implementation and testing phase, thus digitising maritime education.

Mira Salokorpi, Director, FIP-S2@Novia, explains more about the project: “It brings together technological, educational, psychological, and economical expertise with experience in shipping, while also representing the first joint EU project in the framework of the FIP cooperation.”