Together with ETTU and Friday Out Of The Box, Jumbo has created a deckmarking solution using the Microsoft HoloLens.
Prior to the loading of heavy lift cargo, an engineer needs to make sure that the right anchorage points are welded onto the deck. At least two persons armed with a blueprint and measuring tape mark the right spots on the deck with a spray can (deckmarking). This manual process takes a lot of time and there is inevitably the risk of mistakes in measurement. Jumbo, Friday Out Of The Box and ETTU came up with a concept applying Mixed Reality using the Microsoft HoloLens to accelerate and improve the deckmarking process.
How it Works
Using the Microsoft HoloLens, the engineer is able to see the blueprint directly projected onto the deck of the ship. This makes it easier to mark the anchorage points. This visual process enables the engineer to notice possible obstacles immediately and apply the anchorage points at a faster rate.
Accuracy Is Key
Besides safety and usability, the main challenge was to create a stable and highly accurate projection on the immense surface of the Jumbo vessels. This specialised environment requires an accuracy of 1 cm within surfaces measuring 12×17 m.
Billy Jean Method
As GPS-technology is not accurate enough for this work, Jumbo introduced the Billy Jean method, based on Michael Jackson’s song. Similar to the music video where the tiles light up as the king of pop walks on them, the deckmarking tiles light up while walking on deck. Only the tiles that are closest to the user are shown. This results in a highly stable and accurate projection.
Recently, new tests with improved software led to great results with regard to performance and accuracy. Now it is time for the final testing on board of Jumbo vessels in Australia and Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Saving Time and Reducing Human Error
When using the HoloLens application for Deckmarking, the duration of the complex loading process is reduced significantly, which reduces time in port and associated costs. The HoloLens also increases reliability of the deckmarking because the risk of human errors becomes smaller.
Jumbo has patented the deckmarking solution. Withing the project, ETTU worked on the development of the Mixed Reality applications using the HoloLens. Friday Out Of The Box managed the innovation process.
Watch a video of the new deckmarking solution below.
