WPS BV · Maritime Simulation, Belgium

Ship handling simulation, built by a pilot who berths ships for a living.

The same class of manoeuvring model that runs in full-mission bridge simulators, on the device every trainee already carries. Low speed, confined water, tugs made fast, at a fraction of the cost of simulator time.

Explore the simulator Work with us
18 yearspilotage experience behind the model
7 vessel typesindividually tuned manoeuvring behaviour
iOS & Androidin production, worldwide
4M+downloads across our titles
MMGpeer-published low-speed formulation
Why mobile simulation

Not a replacement for the bridge simulator. The addition that changes the economics.

Full-mission simulators are indispensable, but scarce. Sessions are expensive, scheduled weeks ahead, and shared across a whole cohort. A mobile simulator built on the same class of MMG modelling fills the gap between sessions: unlimited practice hours, anywhere, on hardware you already own.

Professional algorithms

Not arcade physics: the same MMG framework used in institutional bridge simulators, including a peer-published low-speed formulation for berthing and tug work.

Accessible to every trainee

No booking, no travel, no instructor required. Every trainee can practise ship handling on their own phone or tablet: before, between and after bridge-simulator sessions.

A fraction of the cost

More practice hours from the same training budget: prepare and repeat exercises on mobile, and reserve expensive full-mission time for assessment and team training.

Flagship

Ship Maneuvering Simulator

The only mobile app built on the professional MMG manoeuvring model, with over 250,000 downloads. Not an arcade boat game: every vessel runs a full manoeuvring model with individually tuned resistance, turning and stopping behaviour, in harbours, locks and confined waters.

  • Hull, propeller and rudder forces from the MMG framework, real-time on ordinary phones
  • Tug assistance with Voith Schneider tugs: made fast laterally for berthing and unberthing, or in longitudinal towing mode for entering locks
  • Wind with sheltering inside locks, current, cross-flow resistance and visual sea state
  • Naval and merchant vessels: frigate, supply ship, bulker, containership and more
  • Damage model with consequence: hard landings cost money
Download on theApp Store GET IT ONGoogle Play

As featured in SeaTalk: “Varen op je telefoon”

Tug-assisted berthing in the Ship Maneuvering Simulator
Two lateral tugs swinging a frigate to starboard in a turning basin
2 lateral tugs initiate a starboard swing in a turning basin
Stern tug working on the line
Stern tug working on the line during a confined-water swing
Naval vessel line-up
Naval vessel types with individually tuned handling
Stern tug seen from on board the frigate
Stern tug seen from on board the frigate
Under the hood

Simulation technology that survives professional scrutiny

The engine implements the Modular Mathematical Model (MMG) for ship manoeuvring, recently reworked to follow the published low-speed formulation of Taniguchi & Maki (2025, Ocean Engineering): hull and rudder forces for arbitrary inflow directions and four-quadrant propeller operation.

Low-speed realism

Large drift angles, sternway, lateral translation and rotation on the spot: the final approach to the berth behaves the way it does from a real bridge.

Tug interaction

Lateral push-pull work for berthing and unberthing, and centre-line towing on the hawser for lock entries, with speed-dependent effectiveness and realistic force build-up. Directly relevant to naval and port training.

Pilot-validated

Developed, tuned and validated by an active maritime pilot with 18 years of pilotage and a merchant navy background. Training content reflects how ship handling is actually done.

Customisable & licensable

New vessel classes, scenarios and features on a proven baseline. The engine is available for licensing and bespoke training programmes for defence and maritime education.

More from our studio

Consumer games by WPC

Alongside our professional simulation work, we build and publish physics-driven games: real n-body gravity and SPH planetary collisions, together good for over 4 million downloads on iOS, Android and Steam.

Solar System Simulator

A space gravity sandbox and astronomy app in one. Over 3.6 million downloads.

Space Crash Simulator

Planetary collisions computed with smoothed-particle hydrodynamics, on desktop and mobile. Over 300,000 downloads.

Explore our games

Consumer titles are published and operated by WPC.

About

WPS BV

WPS BV is a Belgian maritime simulation company founded by Ward Puttemans, an active maritime pilot. The simulator is developed, tuned and validated by the same person who berths ships professionally. That is why the handling feels right to mariners, and why the training content matches real operations.

We work with training institutes, defence customers and technology partners: engine licensing, customisation to specific vessel classes, scenario development and technical direction.

  • Founder: Ward Puttemans
  • Certification: Master Mariner (unlimited tonnage)
  • Background: Maritime pilot since 2008; 8 years merchant navy (Exmar)
  • Education: MSc Nautical Sciences, Antwerp Maritime Academy
  • Company: WPS BV, Belgium
  • Focus: Ship-handling simulation, maritime training technology
Contact

Let's talk about your training programme

Engine licensing, custom vessel models, simulation partnerships or press. We respond quickly.

info@wpssimulations.com

WPS BV · Oud-Turnhout, Belgium · BE 1015.692.839