VDR (Voyage Data Recorder) is the maritime equivalent of the black box that airlines employ. The system is usually two-parts, consisting a data-collection unit and a deck-mounted protective pod that is designed to withstand shock or fire, deep-sea pressurized, and penetration. It is often used to record incidents during navigation, but it also provides valuable data for analysis of heavy weather damage and monitoring of performance as well as for crew training.
Up-grading
Many ships fitted with VDR/SVDR devices meet the minimum regulatory requirements however, Members are urged to think about using the equipment to investigate incidents and preventive maintenance, bridge team training, as in addition to recording near misses. There are also packages that can extend the time duration during which VDR information is available beyond the current minimum of 12 hours. A decision must be made on whether to upgrade the equipment.
The system is based on an industrial-grade processor that performs many functions, such as processing and encoding data from sensors. The capsule is designed to withstand any incident and also store the data. The key components of the VDR system include a data collection unit, which is situated on the bridge, a dedicated power source along with an interface unit as well as batteries for backup. The unit collects data from the integrated sources, including microphones used to record bridge audio, and then sends it to a Concentrator, where a set of NMEA 0183 sentence is processed and encoded before being sent to the final recording media.
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