AR remote support improves vessel operations

Shipping companies operating modern vessels face rising technical complexity as alternative fuels and energy-efficient systems are deployed across fleets. Equipment such as ballast water management systems, fuel purification units, and emission control technologies requires precise operation and maintenance to meet tightening environmental regulations.

Crews must address faults, ensure compliance, and maintain performance while operating far from shore-based expertise. Limited onboard technical resources and historically unreliable deep-sea connectivity have made real-time support difficult, increasing downtime risks and operational uncertainty.

Shipowners therefore aim to improve equipment uptime, regulatory compliance, crew safety, and energy efficiency, while reducing service interventions and associated costs.

Solution: AR-enabled remote support and connectivity
To address these challenges, Alfa Laval developed a scalable AR-enabled remote support system combined with connected equipment infrastructure. The solution links onboard crews with shore-based technical experts through real-time communication and augmented reality interfaces.

Using AR guidance, experts can visualize onboard conditions and guide crew members step by step during troubleshooting, maintenance, or operational procedures. This enables faster diagnostics and more accurate interventions without requiring physical attendance.

The approach builds on existing connectivity through installed gateways on critical systems such as ballast water management, oil purification, and separation equipment. Enhanced satellite communication and onboard networks now allow these systems to transmit data and support live collaboration.

The company selected this approach due to its ability to combine visual assistance, real-time data access, and remote expertise, directly addressing the operational constraints of vessels at sea.

Deployment: Field validation and scalable rollout
The solution was tested through field trials conducted with major maritime stakeholders, including Maersk, Anglo-Eastern, and Everllence PrimeServ. These trials focused on extending onboard connectivity into engine rooms and validating real-time remote support use cases.

Tests demonstrated that only limited additional hardware investment was required to connect key machinery, making deployment feasible across existing fleets.

During trials, AR-supported remote assistance was applied to real operational scenarios, including:

These use cases confirmed that remote collaboration could accelerate issue resolution while also supporting crew training and operational decision-making.

According to Søren Helmuth Jensen, SVP Technology Development at Alfa Laval: “By using AR guidance, our remote experts can see exactly what the crew sees and guide them step by step through complex tasks.”

Results: Improved uptime, safety, and compliance
The deployment of AR-enabled remote support delivers measurable operational improvements, even where precise figures are not disclosed.

The solution reduces equipment downtime by enabling faster fault diagnosis and resolution, directly improving vessel availability. Real-time expert guidance enhances maintenance accuracy and reduces the likelihood of operational errors, contributing to safer working conditions in machinery spaces.

Remote support also minimizes the need for service travel, lowering operational costs and associated emissions. This contributes to broader decarbonization objectives while maintaining system reliability.

In addition, continuous access to expert assistance helps crews maintain compliance with evolving maritime regulations, reducing the risk of non-compliance penalties and operational disruptions.

Outlook: From reactive support to proactive performance
Beyond troubleshooting, Alfa Laval is extending its remote support model toward proactive services, including compliance monitoring and performance optimization.

An upcoming compliance monitoring package for ballast water systems represents the next step in enabling continuous, real-time regulatory oversight. This evolution positions remote support as a central tool for managing increasingly complex and regulated vessel operations.

By integrating connectivity, AR, and expert knowledge, the company is establishing a framework for scalable digital support across global fleets, supporting long-term improvements in efficiency, safety, and environmental performance.

Edited by an industrial journalist Sucithra Mani with AI assistance.

www.alfalaval.com