Voyage Data Recorders (VDR) are devices that collect, process and record sensor inputs from ships to provide valuable insight in the aftermath of an incident. They are essentially black boxes for the maritime industry, designed to pinpoint the root of a maritime accidents and assist in prevention.

VDRs and S-VDRs are fitted to all vessels of at least 3,000 gross tons and up that were built on or after July 1, 2002. A VDR/S-VDR is a fixed electronic storage medium that is tamper-proof enclosed in a capsule capable of withstanding the pressures and shocks associated with a marine accident such as collision, fire or sinking.

The system is designed to collect data from various shipboard sensors, digitize and compress it before storing it in an externally mounted protective storage unit. The tamperproof storage container is designed to withstand the most severe heat, impact, and shock as well as pressures, that may be encountered during a maritime incident, such as a collision or a fire.

Members may want to upgrade their VDR/SVDR systems in order that they can retain the data for a longer duration. Currently, the IMO performance standard only requires the VDR/S-VDR to store data http://www.digitaldealdataroom.info/database-access-control-best-practices for a maximum of 12 hours after the incident before it is overwritten.

A growing number of manufacturers are now offering a ‘MantaDigital’ S-VDR which can be interrogated remotely in the same way that airlines’ FDR data is analyzed post-incident. This enables onboard technical issues to be identified remotely and aids in the implementation of proactive maintenance procedures. Regular shoreside replays allow bridge teams to understand the trends in their performance and to identify opportunities for improvement.