Voyage Data Recorders (VDR)

Voyage Data Recorders (VDR) are devices that collect, process and record sensor inputs from ships to provide valuable information following an incident. They are basically maritime black boxes designed to help determine the root of maritime accidents and help in their prevention.

VDRs and S-VDRs can be fitted to all vessels of three tons gross or more constructed on or after July 1, 2002. A VDR/S-VDR is a fixed electronic storage medium that is tamperproof sealed in a capsule, capable of withstanding the pressure and shock that comes to a marine event such as collision, fire or sinking.

The system is designed for collecting data from a variety of sensors onboard a ship before digitizing and compressing the data before storing it in an enclosed storage unit that is mounted externally. The tamperproof box is designed to withstand the most severe http://www.digitaldealdataroom.info/ heat, shock, and impact, as well as pressures that might be encountered during a marine incident, such a collision or fire.

Members may wish to consider upgrading their VDR/SDR systems to give them the capability to keep data for longer periods. At present, IMO performance standards only require that VDR/SVDRs keep data for 12 hours following an incident.

A growing number of companies are now offering a “MantaDigital” S-VDR that can be accessed remotely in the same way airlines’ FDR data is analyzed after an incident. This allows onboard technical issues to be detected remotely, and assists in the execution of proactive maintenance processes. Regular shoreside replays allow bridge teams to identify trends in their performance, and to identify opportunities for improvement.