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Blog Leverage Our Systems to Bring Smart Vessel Technology Into Your Classrooms

September 10, 2020

Sea Machines is committed to educating the next generation of mariners about modern-day technologies that are starting to make the commercial marine industry safer and more capable, productive and predictable. With the goals of providing modern tools to educators and equipping students with skills that best prepare them for the future, Sea Machines now offering maritime academies its SM300 autonomous-command and remote-helm vessel control system for use in the classroom and on the water.

Sea Machines is a Smart Training Tool

A Sea Machines autonomous-command and remote-helm control vessel

In addition to providing students with hands-on training about the latest advanced vessel technology, choosing Sea Machines’ autonomous-command and remote-helm systems will give your students the chance to learn about the new, non-traditional roles that autonomy and remote systems are ushering in – many of which bring greater safety and higher-level tasks to the workforce. It can also make your academy more competitive and better prepare students for long-term careers.

How to Leverage Our Tech in the Classroom

An example shoreside control center

  • Sea Machines will provide an SM300 autonomous-command and remote-helm control system for your school’s training vessel.
  • Once your vessel has been upgraded as a human-in-the-loop autonomous vessel, faculty and students can safely operate it from anywhere on board or from a second location (such as another vessel or shoreside control station), using either a computer or a remote-control joystick. It is recommended that a shoreside control center equipped with several connected monitors be established, as shown above, for optimal learning. 
  • During on-water operations, the SM300 will stream live data from AIS; GPS; radar; and on-board cameras, sensors and other equipment directly to the operator for real-time situational awareness. This feature can help to reduce the number of mariners required on board, as students and teachers will be able to command and monitor vessel operations from shore. Always on watch, the SM300’s obstacle detection and collision avoidance features are included. 

Sea Machines is Classroom-Ready Today

An MMA student commands an SM300-enabled autonomous vessel.

Sea Machines recently commenced a partnership with Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) to introduce autonomous vessel operations to the school’s classroom, fleet and labs.

“We call it smart vessel technology,” says MMA’s Capt. Jennifer Norwood (shown). “Providing our students the opportunity to gain and learn from the technology is in line with MMA’s mission to provide the best marine-related education of any small college.”

Read more about our partnership with MMA here and here.


To learn more about our how we support maritime academies or how our system works, submit the form below.