Virtual handling

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REPLICATION: The simulator can reproduce a port environment.

While the mobile unit seems ideally suited to the task for which it is being used, the concept was originally designed for another application.

"This particular model of simulator is designed for offshore oil and gas use," observes Julian Jones, managing director of Drilling Systems and the creator of the simulator.

"But the custom-built DP World configuration needed a screen below the operator, as they spend a lot of their time looking between their legs, so we had one manufactured."

The first working version derived from the oil and gas simulator took about nine months to build, while adding additional cranes to the software took between three and six months to obtain an accurate simulation.

"As well as catering for all types of crane, be they rubber-tyre gantry, rail-mounted or quayside cranes, we then had to include different makes," says Jones.

Apparently, the various makes have different qualities - for example, a ZPMC will move differently from a Leibherr.

"It really is mobile," elaborates Jones. "You can plug it anywhere in the world, as it supports voltages between 110 to 480. It really is just plug and play."

Companies can train new recruits and develop their existing staff on the virtual machines, allowing operators to get familiar with new cranes before they are even delivered.

"You can quickly change the panniers for a different model or make of crane," continues Jones.

"So if you have different crane types in the yard, you can run quayside crane operations, followed by rail or rubber-tyre gantry operations in just a couple of minutes by changing the panniers over and off you go again."

While the mobile simulator is impressive, it is only part of a brand-new training facility at DP World's flagship port in Jebel Ali. The fixed simulator, built by T3 Systems, is, for all intents and purposes, the same as that used for training airline pilots.

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