British Antarctic Survey deploys the platform on the RRS Sir David Attenborough to manage mission-critical displays and KVM operations during polar research expeditions.
Control Rooms: Datapath’s Aetria Powers Visual Operations Aboard Research Vessel
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has deployed Datapath’s Aetria platform aboard the RRS Sir David Attenborough, modernizing the visual control and KVM systems used to support scientific missions in Antarctica.
Designed for research in some of the world’s harshest environments, the vessel required a platform capable of integrating distributed displays and video walls while providing reliable operation during extended polar expeditions. Datapath worked with BAS to design and commission the system before its installation was completed during the ship’s scheduled maintenance period.
The deployment includes 11 Aetria workstations and multiple VSN Series video wall controllers that integrate video and data sources across the vessel’s displays. The system also incorporates IP video distribution, capture and KVM-over-IP technologies, supported by redundant Aetria Network Managers to ensure high availability for mission-critical operations.
BAS says the platform has already supported its first Antarctic research mission, with operators highlighting both its reliability and ease of use. The vessel is now on its second deployment into Antarctic waters, where the system is being used to manage a range of scientific operations.
“Aetria was well suited to the RRS Sir David Attenborough due to its configurability and display flexibility, supporting the scale and number of inputs required for advanced scientific operations,” said Adam Marsden, sales manager at Datapath.