The HoloShip facility is Seaspan Shipyards’ newly launched, immersive visualization system. It is a virtual reality environment created to develop, integrate, test and demonstrate new digital twin capabilities and transform how ships are built, constructed, and maintained for Seaspan and the Canadian marine industry community.
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry explained, “Seaspan’s investment in its new immersive visualization HoloShip facility is a critical step for Canada’s marine industry. The HoloShip facility will help enhance the Canadian shipbuilding industry’s ability to seize the opportunities of the digital economy, help to ensure Canada has the modern ships needed, and create good jobs for Canadians.”
The integrated use of digital technology and digital twins is serving to rapidly evolve modern shipbuilding and through-life support. Effective use of digital information is critical for shipbuilders and ship owners/operators. It forms the foundation for connected products and services and can result in more efficient, safer, and sustainable fleets.
“Investment in advanced digital technologies such as our new HoloShip platform contributes to the continued development of Seaspan as one of the most modern shipyards in North America. Collaborating with the marine industry community to develop a vertically integrated cluster of Canadian companies that provide both independent and integrated solutions to the global market will also help position and enhance Canada’s reputation as a leader in technology, shipbuilding and ship repair,” says Dave Hargreaves, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, Seaspan Shipyards.
Using Seaspan’s HoloShip, designers, engineers, production teams, and customers can virtually experience a fully detailed, three-dimensional, and highly accurate digital model of the vessel on a 5.6-metre-wide display wall. 3D and virtual reality headsets are used by participants who are transported onto the ship and enabled to move about in order to view and interact with the space, as well as with the equipment, components, systems and subsystems. HoloShip can also be accessed by participants via a networked system at a remote location.
Engineering and design teams can assess and evaluate a wide range of uses and scenarios across all stages of a vessel’s lifecycle, from design and construction through to delivery, operations, maintenance, and training using the Holoship platform. The integration of advanced visualization systems allows teams to optimize models and collaborate effectively with customers for increased productivity, efficiency, and quality. In addition, emerging digital twin technologies can be leveraged to aid vessel owners and operators in reducing down-time for repair. This results in more effectively maintaining, sustaining, and enhancing fleets and lowering vessel cost of ownership.
The non-combat vessels that Seaspan is constructing for the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) will see immediate benefits through Holoship. These ships include the Polar Icebreaker and Multi-Purpose Vessels that are currently in the design phase. Holoship also serves to better position Canadian technology in the export market as growth across the supply chain enables companies to sustain and grow over the long term.
The HoloShip platform is part of Seaspan Shipyards value proposition commitments under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.