Overview
DISC II is a follow-up project to the first DISC project on a conceptual European standard for
Integrated Ship Control. DISC II further develops this basic standard with practical demonstration in mind.
Enhanced maritime safety, efficiency and competitiveness are expected to result from the application of a user-centred, life-cycle oriented design approach to integrated ship control systems.
The resulting systems should fulfil five basic requirements. Firstly, they should be adapted to the individual ship, its owner and crew. Secondly, they should be subject to periodic performance and workability audits. Thirdly, they should utilise a common, harmonised user interface. Fourthly, they should adhere to an open standard allowing easy integration, flexibility and maintainability. And fifthly, they should be developed in accordance with well defined verification and validation principles.
The immediate objectives of DISC II include:
- demonstration of the commercial viability of the DISC concept
- demonstration of the benefits to the industry
- demonstration of the concept's technical feasibility
The methodology involves a number of activities centred around the design, construction and subsequent use of a working 'mock-up' of a ship's control centre, the ship's bridge, allowing for a practical demonstration at various sites across Europe.
In broad terms, the envisaged features of the 'mock-up' ship control centre include a defined human-machine interface that allows dynamic prioritising of operational tasks with a view to reducing operator error significantly. Commercially available marine electronic systems with novel, prototype-like equipment, systems and applications will also contribute to the project. The project will support simulator-based testing and assessment of system and crew performance.