Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) is a global services provider operating in the dredging, maritime infrastructure and maritime services sectors. For the existing cameras of their DP2 Diving Support Vessel “Constructor”, Boskalis was looking for a stable and flexible video displaying system.
A stable foundation for a flexible solution
In the old situation, the ship’s video surveillance system worked purely based on coax cables. The quality of the images was varying from time to time and the network had to be rerouted every time a change was made to match the next customer’s or project’s demands. Flexibility and stability were therefore the most important requirements for the new video surveillance system. The solution was to create a set hardware environment where only adjustments in the software needed to be made.
Simplified management
The ship includes a client container, the chamber where workers from the client are seated to work on their projects. This container can be placed on various locations on deck, depending on the customer’s wishes and requirements. With its many applications, the ship is engaged in many different projects each year. This provides the challenge of rerouting the client container’s connections each time it’s relocated. A solution is provided by placing junction boxes at strategic points on the ship. It doesn’t matter where the client container is placed; a connection is made simply and easily. In the software, the ship's Offshore Construction Manager can easily manage the rights of every client and viewer, without having to physically change the cables such as in the old connection. VDG Sense makes this possible with a simple click of the button.
Analog input digitally displayed
The ship’s current cameras are mostly analog, yet the network and the client connection are fully IP based. The analog signals are converted to digital signals through EVE encoders. Through multicasting, the signal is sent to the various servers, clients and viewers. This is essential to ensure virtually no latency in the live video streams. The same goes for a few HDSDI / HDMI input signals. By using specialized encoders and a custom made integration in VDG Sense, the high quality images can be displayed anywhere on board, on every viewer and client, through multicasting.
Improved protection of valuable equipment
High quality images are essential for monitoring the processes on board of the ship, and under water. The ship is often deployed for projects where divers are needed. They carry cameras that can be monitored from the ship. The same goes for the Remotely Operated Vehicles the ship is equipped with. To monitor these processes real time and with the highest quality is essential for the safety of these divers and the protection of valuable equipment.
Project success
Delivery and implementation were to be done within a fixed and tight timeframe. The timeframe available was dependable on the time the ship was docked in the harbor of Papendrecht before sailing out again. To make sure everything could be implemented quickly during the available timeframe, a pilot set-up was first executed on land. Thanks to intensive communication with our reliable partner, Coas Business Systems, and with Boskalis, the project has been completed successfully within the set boundaries.