Sea Traffic and Nautical Solutions

Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics and Services

Sea Traffic and Nautical Solutions

The growth of maritime transport and ship sizes brings challenges for safety and efficiency in shipping, faced by innovations in information technology and nautical solutions.
The CML brings these two aspects together in the field Sea Traffic and Nautical Solutions. Thus waterways, vessel traffic and ship handling technologies are analyzed, evaluated and optimized, thereby improving the safety and efficiency of vessel traffic.

Core Competences:

• Use of ship handling simulators as test environments for innovative nautical technologies and processes
• Development and assessment of technologies for autonomous systems and nautical assistance systems
• Nautical safety analyses for planning approval purposes and port layout assessment
• Nautical risk analysis and maneuver optimization
• AIS-based data analyses of maritime transport and routing

Research Priorities

Biomimetic Solutions for the Maritime Industry

The concept of "biological transformation" describes the transformation of industrial value creation into biointelligent manufacturing. This also allows the maritime industry to benefit from environmentally friendly and resource-saving advantages with biomimetic solutions. For example, in the development of an AIRCOAT for ship hulls.

Use of Augmented Reality for Efficient Port Maneuvers

The docking and casting off manoeuvres of large ships in ports are time-consuming and resource-intensive. Often several tugs have to be used to bring container giants, for example, to the quay. The FernSAMS project is working on implementing the coordinated control of these manoeuvres from land with remote-controlled tugs.

Maritime Data Analytics

Companies collect and store large amounts of data, such as ship positions and voyages, as well as information about technical systems on board and handling and transport processes ashore, but rarely evaluate them creatively. The research focus Maritime Data Analytics takes advantage of these data volumes.

Autonomous Technologies for Shipping

The development and evaluation of technologies for autonomous systems and nautical assistance systems form an important research focus at CML. These include a Shore Control Center for the observation and control of a fleet from land and the necessary competence for object recognition at sea including the initiation of necessary evasive manoeuvres. Autonomous units are currently being developed for use in ports.

Maritime Data Analytics

More than 30 ship bridges are integrated in the European Maritime Simulator Network EMSN, which play through complex situations together in virtual manoeuvres. They use the platform for testing new solutions for maritime communication and navigation as well as for training nautical personnel. The CML is in charge of the network, which is now expanding into the Asia-Pacific region.

EMSN Connect Flyer

Actual Projects

Projects and Products

Product Information

EmissionSEA determines the CO2 emissions of ships

Since the beginning of 2018, shipowners have had to declare the CO2 emissions of their ships in EU waters. In order to validate their information, CML is developing the EmmisionSEA software together with Jakota Design Group GmbH, Wismar University of Applied Sciences and the German Aerospace Center.

SCIPPER: Shipping Contributions to Inland Pollution Push for the Enforcement of Regulations

In the SCIPPER project, 18 research partners are investigating which tools can be used to measure pollutants in ship exhaust gases. The CML is developing an onboard sensor system for measuring ship emissions and an environmental shipping monitoring center.

Project VESTVIND - Improved forecast of ship movements

Knowledge of ship arrivals is essential for the efficiency of port processes. This enables the partners involved to plan and optimise at an early stage. However, different influences lead to deviations. For this purpose, the Fraunhofer CML and TRENZ AG are developing a prediction model for ship arrivals in German seaports as part of the VESTVIND project. Ship arrivals should be reliably predicted up to 72 hours before arrival. Learn more about VESTVIND here.

News from the European Maritime Simulator Network EMSN-Connect

CADETS, OFFICERS AND NAVIGATORS NOW EXPERIENCE COOPERATIVE TRAINING - this is the idea of EMSN Connect. Today, more than 10 maritime simulation centers with over 30 bridges are involved in the network. They use the platform for joint testing of new solutions for maritime communication and navigation as well as for training nautical personnel. For this purpose, complex virtual environments are created that provide realistic manoeuvring conditions. Read more in our flyer!

EMSN Connect-Flyer