CRH02 aids ship navigation

Silicon Sensing Systems Ltd’s latest inertial measurement technology has been used in AD Navigation AS’s new pilot’s aid, the ADX XR, to successfully guide the ‘Pioneering Spirit’ – the world’s largest construction vessel – into Maasvlakte in the port of Rotterdam. 

With large vessels such as the Pioneering Spirit, which measures 372 x 124 meters, final entrance and docking manoeuvres in the close confines of port are typically controlled by a pilot.  The pilot uses the ADX XR as their ship-independent navigation aid.

In the trials, precise movement data from Silicon Sensing’s CRH02 all-silicon gyros allowed the ADX XR to deliver a highly accurate and detailed 3 to 5-minute ship course prediction to the pilot.  CRH02 is a compact, low noise, single axis gyroscope which provides outstanding performance, similar to a fibre optic gyro, but is more rugged, with a lower size and weight.

Following this successful performance, AD Navigation has placed a production order for CRH02 gyros with Silicon Sensing. 

Lorentz Ryan, Managing Director of AD Navigation commented: “The compact form factor along with the extremely precise performance of the new CRH02 gyro makes it a perfect component in our ADX XR ultra-precise and portable navigation system.  We appreciate our long-standing relationship with Silicon Sensing and the excellent support from all their staff.”

Steve Capers, General Manager, Silicon Sensing Systems comments: “Our MEMS gyros are relied on in many maritime roles, including positioning, stabilisation and navigation, but our team is particularly proud of this successful trial with AD Navigation on the Pioneering Spirit vessel.  Our devices are based on our patented vibrating ring design which means they offer a unique combination of precision performance and robustness – a combination that is particularly appropriate in the tough and ever-changing maritime environment.” 

Pioneering Spirit 

Pioneering Spirit (formerly Pieter Schelte) is the largest construction vessel in the world. Inspired by the offshore heavy lifting pioneer Pieter Schelte Heerema (1908–81) and designed completely in-house, the vessel is designed for the single-lift installation and removal of large oil and gas platforms and the installation of record-weight pipelines.

AD Navigation AS

AD Navigation was founded in 2002 in Sarpsborg, Norway. Since the start, the company has been innovating cutting edge technology tailored for ship-pilots.  Today, the ultra-precise portable navigation systems from AD Navigation AS play an important role managing the traffic in major ports like Rotterdam, Antwerp, London and Liverpool, as well as being utilised by the US Navy for manoeuvring of naval vessels to a precision of only a few centimetres.

Silicon Sensing Systems

Silicon Sensing Systems Ltd is a gyroscope and inertial systems engineering development company, jointly owned by Collins Aerospace and Sumitomo Precision Products.  The company was formed in 1999 and is, today, a market leader in silicon, micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-based navigation and stabilisation technology.  Approaching 30 million MEMS gyroscopes and accelerometers have been supplied to thousands of customers since the company’s formation.