Man Overboard
If you fall off a ship, you will only survive a few minutes in the cold water. Therefore, the Ministry of Defence asked HU students to develop a system to quickly detect drowning people.
"When you fall off a navy ship, a colleague immediately presses an alarm button and points to where you are in the sea. Two boys are then thrown into the water as fast as possible, indicating approximately where you lie. Then a lifeboat quickly enters the water to get you out of the cold water. Because you get hypothermia quickly, it is necessary to be back on board within five minutes. It is often possible to get a drowning person on board quickly. Yet it can be safer: if there are high waves, it is dark, or the ship is sailing very fast, it is difficult to keep the drowning person in good view," said Martin Lennaerts, Software developer innovation at Defence.
The Man Overboard detection system
"If someone falls overboard, their location is immediately shown on a screen," he says.
Martin asked the Information and Communication Technology programme (HBO ICT) at HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht to design a Man Overboard detection system. Students developed a transmitter to be carried by naval personnel on a ship and an application for in the wheelhouse.
"If there are high waves, it is dark or the ship is moving fast, the dwoning person is quickly out of sight."
Martin Lennaerts
Software developer innovation, Defence
The transmitter activates automatically when someone falls overboard. It sets off an alarm on the ship and repeatedly measures the distance to the ship. A screen in the wheelhouse shows where the drowning person is in relation to the ship. That way, a rescue boat can find the drowning person faster, even if weather conditions are tricky.
Students get free rein
"Students devise the approach and programme the system."
Everyone's input is needed
HU lecturer Information and Communication Technology Peter van Rooijen: "The software was developed entirely by the students. I guide students on their professional development. And Martin guides them from the Ministry of Defence. He - as the client - regularly updates students on the requirements and context of the assignment. HU student Information and Communication Technology Jona Leeflang: "Martin knows a lot about Defence, the Navy and ships, he often tells you things you don't think about as an outsider. For example, the fact that a ship does not come to a stop easily - that obviously affects the kind of detection system needed."
Safer sea travel
"This system also lends itself to other vessels, such as cargo ships, cruise ships and fisheries."
Martin Lennaerts: "The beauty of this system is that it is quite affordable. This means that, once it has been fully developed, it can also be used on other types of ships. Think of international cargo ships, cruise ships or the fishing industry. Currently, the developed prototype still needs to be made more robust. But in the future, this will really make sea travel safer."
