ASUS notebooks play vital role in safe conduct of Maritime Traffic
Overview
Maritime pilots are specialists who rely on their local knowledge to guide ships through harbours and congested waterways. This is very different from driving a car, as the ships are large vessels and their movement is affected by speed, tide and wind direction among a host of factors. In the busy maritime traffic condition of a harbour, deviation from the set course can result in collisions that can cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and even loss of life. The role of the maritime pilot is hence of critical importance in ensuring the safe passage of peoples and goods by sea.
At a maritime pilot station at Shandong Qingdao, this time honoured profession of conducting maritime traffic safely through the harbour is aided by the use of ASUSPRO BU400 notebook computers, which have become part of the personal equipment of pilots.
Challenges
In the past, maritime pilots relied on keen observation, intimate knowledge of the local waterways and had to be very adaptable to the great variation in performance characteristics of vessels to be guided, as well as the constantly changing weather conditions. The work of a pilot is particularly challenging under rough weather conditions, where visibility is limited and strong tides make it difficult to guide a ship safely. Hence, the maritime pilot is a specialist vocation, one that takes many years’ training and experience to master.
To cope with the rising level of maritime traffic brought on by China’s booming international trade, pilots at Shandong Qingdao were issued ASUSPRO BU400 notebooks which have quickly proven themselves to be indispensable. Now, essential navigation data can be called up on the laptops in a matter of keystrokes, and secure communications are maintained at all times with the shore office. The laptops have also been fitted with GPS positioning, so even in the evenings or bad weather conditions with limited visibility, the pilot can rely on his laptop to display the precise position and course of the vessel he is guiding.“Using a laptop computer with a maritime satellite connection, we just need to enter the relevant electronic navigation chart to instantly determine our position and course. The BU400 have served us without fail, even after some were dropped or had water spilled on the keyboard under bad weather conditions,” said a pilot.
Outcome
By putting vast amounts of relevant navigation data at the pilot’s fingertips and functioning flawlessly under the varied weather conditions and visibility, the ASUSPRO BU400 not only contributes to the safety of the ships passing through congested harbours and local waterways, it has also shortened considerably the amount of time needed to train a maritime pilot. In this way, safety has been enhanced, and pilot training optimised to meet the increased demand.
The Product
ASUS BU400 is a powerful ultrabook with award-winning design, rigorously tested for long term durability and reliability against such commonplace hazards as drops and spills, surpassing even MIL-STD 810G military standard for ruggedness. To protect vital data, the hard drive is toughened with anti-shock features, while TPM functionality keeps sensitive information from unauthorised access.
The ASUSPRO BU400 weighs just 1.64kg with proprietary True-comfort keyboard and precision touchpad, and features the latest third-generation Intel Core processors and dedicated Nvidia graphics.