Wireless Lan News

Yanmar has undertaken development of underlying technologies for robotic boats and auto-docking, technologies that are expected to see service in operations in dangerous waters, maritime surveys, or smart fisheries.While development of autonomous vehicles for the road and the farm continues apace, maritime robotics technologies have yet to become established. With long established track record of R&D in various fields of robotics and IT, Yanmar has been working to meld the hardware…

Pronautas B.V. GmbH announced that its connectivity solution has been selected by Caiano Shipping III AS (Norway) for 11 Green Reefers vessels. Pronautas will provide a total turnkey connectivity solution comprising Sailor VSAT 900B antenna, Astrium’s Airtime and Xchange box, and PRONAUTAS’ uncompromising system and customer support solution. Pronautas said its system provides global coverage for airtime availability, a seamless switching between Ku- and L-band terminals, full control of communication usage and cost control, wireless LAN access onboard, VOIP lines for business and crew calling and billing functionality. The VSAT terminal is upgradeable from Ku-Band to Ka-Band.

PRONAUTAS said it is enjoying continued success in the Maritime Connectivity market, securing more than 120 connectivity contracts in the last 12 months alone. The company attributed the success to the introduction of the Total Solution package, combining a ship-to-shore connectivity service with airtime provision, accounting authority services, radio registration, service and maintenance for communication and navigation equipment. Operating on a one-stop-shop principle, PRONAUTAS’ Ships IT Solutions are supported by its in-house Connectivity Support Centre for remote maintenance. Implemented projects include installations of VSAT, FleetBroadband and Existing & Evolved Terminals such as Fleet 77/55/33.

Hamburg terminal operator HHLA (Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG) has placed an order with Cargotec for 14 Kalmar 7+ generation ESC350W diesel-electric straddle carriers. The new machines, acknowledged as the most environmentally friendly model offered by Cargotec, will be deployed at HHLA's Container Terminal Burchardkai (CTB) facility and will be delivered in September this year. The new straddle carriers feature Selective Catalytic Reduction engine technology, designed to meet Stage 3B engine emissions requirements that came into force in the European Union earlier this year.

Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) announced the publication of a new guideline entitled, Guidelines on Shipboard Wireless LAN Systems. The use of wireless LAN systems is becoming more accessible in public areas onshore such as airports, train stations, and hotels. However, with the exception of some passenger ships, LAN systems onboard ships have predominantly been limited to wired systems. Even though it is difficult to predict the transmission characteristics of radio waves within the hull structure of a ship completely surrounded by steel plate, there have been increasing calls for being able to use wireless IP phones, remote wireless cameras, and wireless personal computers onboard ship as such systems become ever increasingly more popular.

Ruckus Wireless(TM) announced that it was selected to supply advanced, Smart Wi-Fi products and technology for the Queen Mary, one of the world's most historic ships, now permanently docked and serving as a luxury hotel and convention center in Long Beach, California. Hotel Internet Services (HIS) and Queen Mary IT staff have selected and deployed Ruckus ZoneFlex Smart wireless LAN (WLAN) products, enabling wireless connectivity from any of the hotel's guestrooms and common areas in order to support the ship's more than three million yearly visitors.

The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Centre (SPAWAR), San Diego has placed its initial order for a Gavia AUV for testing in mine countermeasures (MCM) applications, and has an option to procure up to ten additional units under an existing contract awarded to Hafmynd Ltd. The funding is provided through the U.S. Secretary of Defense sponsored Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) program, whose aim is to support the procurement of select foreign non-developmental equipment in order to save the cost of developing comparable US technology. The GAVIA AUV system includes over-the-horizon deployment capability using the on-board Iridium satellite link, dual-battery module operation for extended range at high cruising speed and built-in obstacle avoidance.

Iridium Satellite and Impeva Labs will expand their current collaboration in the implementation of a real-time container monitoring, tracking and security system on behalf of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). PANYNJ recently awarded a contract to Impeva Labs as part of the federal Operation Safe Commerce (OSC) Phase III. Iridium and Impeva Labs have collaborated during the past four years in several platforms and products. This phase of field trials of Impeva's Global Sentinel system, which utilizes the Iridium constellation for global communications, will begin in December 2005. Safe Commerce (OSC), a U.S. technology and commercial practices to make container shipping safer. transit. on the global location and condition of containers.

In 1768 British-born explorer Lt. James Cook and his crew set sail on the HM Bark Endeavour on one of the most significant maritime voyages ever. After observing the transit of Venus across the sun in the Pacific, they headed south-west to New Zealand, traveling up the east coast of Australia, then on to the Dutch East Indies (Jakarta and Indonesia). Contrary to popular belief, Cook didn't discover Australia — he wasn't even the first European to arrive there. What's most remarkable about his journey was his use of cutting-edge 18th century scientific techniques to chart a substantial part of the coastline and fix the continent. On this voyage Cook became the first to calculate his longitudinal position with accuracy…