VDR (Voyage Data Recorder) is the maritime equivalent of the black box airlines use. The system is usually two-part, consisting of an data collection unit that is attached to a deck-mounted protective capsule designed to withstand fire, deep sea pressure, shock and penetration. It is used to record navigational incidents, but it can also provide valuable data to assess damage during heavy weather and monitoring performance as well as crew training.

Up-grading

Many ships equipped with VDR/SVDR satisfy the minimum requirements of regulatory compliance. However, Members are encouraged use the equipment to record near misses, conduct investigation into incidents and for preventive maintenance. There are other packages which can extend the duration during which VDR data will be available beyond the current minimum of 12 hours. It is important to make a decision taken about whether to upgrade the equipment.

The system is based on an industrial-grade computer that can perform various functions, including processing and encoding information received from sensors. The data is stored in a capsule designed to survive an accident and provide proof of what occurred onboard the ship. The VDR system consists of an instrument for data collection that is situated on the bridge as along with a separate power supply, an interface unit, and backup batteries. The unit collects data from all integrated sources such as microphones that record bridge audio, and then sends it to the Concentrator. Here, a sequence of NMEA 0183 sentences is interpreted and encoded for transmission to the final recorded medium.

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