JRC and Alphatron Marine have introduced a new pushboat bridge concept meant for the American river and inland waterways.
In Europe, inland shipping can typically move a maximum of six barges at a time while the significant size of the rivers in the United States allows for transport of up to 36 barges at the same time.
Central Captain's Chair
JRC and Alphatron's new pushboat concept strives to tap into these rivers' capacity by using technology that makes bridge operation easier. The bridge comprises of two ergonomic and dynamically designed consoles with a central captain’s chair mounted on rails. The majority of controls and instruments necessary to operate the pushboat are all within easy reach.
Feeling the Vessel
Besides controlling the vessel from a single chair, the captains can now actually feel the power of the main and flanking rudders while holding the joystick. This way of operation, designed together with Dutch hydraulic steering specialist van der Velden Marine Systems, allows captains to feel the vessel.
Clear View
The console includes semi-retractable screens for navigation and other operational data which can be “pushed away” when not needed, for example when the barges are connected to the pushboat. The overhead between the two consoles has been lowered so that the operator can have a clear view of the instruments while looking on the forward deck.
Picture: The new pushboat bridge concept allows a captain to control the vessel from a central chair.
