One lever for a multitude of functions

ABB Ability™ AX Levers

Developed to give the operator enhanced control and understanding a vessel’s Azipod® units, the AX levers guides the user to optimized operations, and warns and vibrates when the pods are put in inefficient or unfavourable angles, making sailing easier and safer.

AX Levers cover a multitude of functions

The AX3 multilever

  • combines the functions of Marine Pilot Control all-speed joystick, mini-wheel and bow thruster control
  • has haptic feedback and configurable indication lighting and 
  • built-in follow-up back up control

The AX2 lever

  • for manual Azipod® control
  • has haptic feedback and configurable indication lighting, with angle scale and is used
  • built-in follow-up back up control

A closer look at the AX3 Multilever modes

Joystick mode

The all-speed joystick mode allows intuitive control of the vessel in high-speed operations as well as low speed DP operations.

The mini wheel

Around the lever is the adjustable miniwheel, allowing easy and incremental adjustment of the heading in sea mode

Tunnel thruster control

When used in tunnel thruster mode, the lever allows combined control of all the bow thrusters.

The AX3 levers allow controlling a retractable azimuthing thruster to be controlled by adapting to whichever mode the thruster is in: when retracted: the lever will adapt to tunnel thruster control. When lowered, the lever will adapt into azimuthing thruster mode.

How does the lever feedback work?

AX Levers are equipped with vibration motors that are used as haptic feedback of the Azipod units’ vibration. Vibration motors are activated to give a warning when the command is set into a unprefered zone. Warnings are issued according to the actual vibration sensor data and the position of the Azipod. Vibration feature raises awareness to the operator about potential washing of the skeg and/or nearby Azipod. Unpreferred zones can be configured according to customer requirements.

The lever will give resistance when going into the unwanted area, marked in yellow. The restricted zone is to limit flushing of the other propulsion units.

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