Expodefensa 2023 – Cotecmar presents its gunboat simulator
The Colombian company Cotecmar, attached to the Defence Social and Business Group, GSED, exhibited its broad portfolio at Expodefensa 2023, and beside the models of its numerous types of ships and naval units it unveiled a gunboat simulator based on virtual reality system which drew considerable interest
This gunboat simulator is dedicated to the helmsmen of armed river combat boats of the Colombian Marine Infantry. This service is one of the largest in the world in terms of numbers, and is mainly focused on riverine operations.
It consists of a virtual reality viewer, an instrument panel similar to that of the river boats available in the Colombian Navy, a screen that allows instructors to appreciate the manoeuvres performed by the trainee, and a server that integrates all the systems and hosts the digitised scenarios.
During the exhibition EDR On-Line was allowed to test the simulator. In the viewer it was possible to observe a stretch of river and an EMAF, the acronym for Estacion Movil de Apoyo Fluvial, or Mobile River Support Station, which is a dock for navy boats also manufactured by Cotecmar. For the time being this scenario is sufficient for helmsmen to practice basic river navigation manoeuvres, as well as entering and exiting EMAFs.
The simulator development was carried out 100% by Cotecmar engineers, and it will continue to evolve and improve, for the benefit of the Colombian Navy, the company also proposing it to foreign customers.
Photos by D. Hernández
