Solent Showcases VR Breakthrough for Seafarer Safety

Maritime experts from Solent University’s Warsash Maritime School (WMS) have been collaborating with the Centre for Factories of the Future (C4FF) to develop a pioneering VR-based training tool designed to enhance emergency preparedness for seafarers working in confined and high-risk environments.

Focusing on enclosed space simulation, the project set out to create realistic VR simulations of ship compartments like engine rooms, cargo compartments, a variety of tanks and other enclosed spaces simulating challenging scenarios such as fire incidents and gas leaks for an immersive training experience.

Hosted by the University’s Warsash MASS Research Centre (WMRC), the event showcased the pivotal part played by Solent in the development of an immersive training solution that has the potential to transform maritime safety.

With maritime safety and simulation playing a key role in Solent’s rich research expertise, the University’s contribution to the project has focused on user experience validation, pedagogical design, and simulation accuracy - finding a solution that not only meets industry needs but also leads the way in new standards for immersive learning.

Capt. Zakirul Bhuiyan, Deputy Dean of Research, Knowledge and Exchange for the University’s School of Technology and Maritime Industries, says, “This project highlights how applied research and collaboration can lead to real-world solutions with industry-wide impact. Solent University is proud to play a key role in not only enhancing but redefining how safety training is delivered in the maritime sector."

Industry professionals – including representatives from the Nautical Institute (NI), Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN) and the Maritime Accident and Investigation Branch (MAIB) - researchers and students from the maritime sector attended the event, which featured a series of presentations from key project partners and contributors, including a live demonstration of the new VR training tool.

The project partners also shared their insights into the development process, validation outcomes, and future applications across other high-risk industries such as offshore energy, logistics, and industrial manufacturing.

Professor Dr Lakhvir Singh, Managing Director of Centre for Factories of the Future Ltd and Project lead, says, “We are proud to have successfully delivered the VR Emergency @Sea project, which marks a significant step forward in the use of immersive technologies for maritime safety and training. As we move into the next phase, our focus shifts to commercialisation and broader adoption. We are exploring partnerships with maritime training centres, shipping companies, and safety organisations to deploy the VR system as part of their training programmes. Our ambition is to make VR Emergency @Sea a standard component of maritime education and safety training globally, supporting the industry’s digital transformation and contributing to safer seas.”