SmartDock installed on Seaspan cargo vessel

The SmartDock system was delivered to shipbuilding and transportation company, Seaspan, for use on its Seaspan Trader and Seaspan Transporter vessels. Commissioning has completed on the first with an expected date for the second of later this year or early 2024. Both will operate in the waters of British Columbia, Canada.

“Wärtsilä ANCS is excited to continue supporting Seaspan and build on an already strong working relationship,” said Klaus Egeberg, director, Dynamic Positioning, Wärtsilä ANCS.

“We look forward to the potential implementation of the SmartDock product across some other vessels in Seaspan’s ferry fleet, further advancing the automation and efficiency of maritime operations.”

The SmartDock system Wärtsilä ANCS enables Seaspan to perform autonomous docking manoeuvres in challenging conditions where currents reach up to two knots.

The system uses an UKF (Unscented Kalman Filter) estimator, combining sensor measurements from various sources, such as GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and Wärtsilä ANCS’s laser sensor Cyscan, to calculate precise position and rate estimates of the vessel’s motion.

This data is then compared to a preprogrammed ideal trajectory of the vessel, and the advanced controller allocates thrust and steering commands, ensuring safe and consistent autonomous docking and undocking manoeuvres.

The scope of work, signed in 2021, includes provision of the SmartDock system, including track development for autodocking at Tilbury, Duke Point, and Swartz Bay ports in Canada.

“The integration of Wärtsilä ANCS’s SmartDock system into Seaspan Trader exemplifies our unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation in maritime operations,” said Alex Treharne, integration engineer, Seaspan.