The VDR (Voyage Data Recorder), is the maritime equivalent of the black boxes used by airlines. The system is usually two-part, comprising the data-collecting unit, which is connected to a protective capsule on deck designed to withstand fire, deep sea pressure shock, and penetration. It is used to document navigational incidents, but it can also provide valuable data for analysis of damage caused by heavy weather and monitoring performance as well as crew training.
Up-grading
Many ships fitted with VDR/SVDR devices meet the bare minimum regulatory requirements However, members are encouraged to consider using the equipment for incident investigation and preventive maintenance, bridge team training as well as to record near misses. In addition, there are packages available that can significantly extend the period of duration for which VDR information is available, starting from the current 12 hour minimum and a decision needs to be made on whether or not to upgrade to this.
The system is built around a industrial computer that carries out many functions like processing and encoding the data that is gathered from the sensors. The data is then stored inside a capsule designed to survive an accident and provide evidence of what transpired on the vessel. The key components of the VDR system are a data collection unit that is located on the bridge, a separate power source as well as an interface unit and backup batteries. The unit collects data from all sources integrated such as microphones that record bridge audio, and then sends it to the Concentrator, where a sequence of NMEA 0183 sentences are read and encoded prior to being transmitted to the final recording medium.