17-07-2024 (updated on: 19-05-2026) – VSTEP is pleased to announce the early access release of NAUTIS Instructor Station 2.0. Built on over a year of structured feedback collection from customers and internal teams, this updated simulation instructor platform represents a significant step forward in usability, workflow efficiency and training delivery capability. Less clicks, more teaching.
“The new NAUTIS Instructor Station is a significant step forward in user experience. We focused on streamlining workflows, enhancing responsiveness and providing greater flexibility to meet the unique needs of instructors. Our goal is to make the platform as intuitive and efficient as possible, based on extensive user feedback.”
– Ernst Mutgeert, UX Designer at VSTEP
Built on Real Instructor Feedback
The development of Instructor Station 2.0 was driven by a deliberate process. Over the past year, VSTEP collected and analysed feedback from customers both internally and externally. Through extensive testing, numerous discussions and learning from NAUTIS Home, the team identified the key friction points in the existing instructor workflow and prioritised improvements accordingly.
For ship simulator training environments where instructors manage multiple trainees, scenarios and events simultaneously, reducing administrative friction is not a minor convenience. It directly affects the quality of the training session. Every click saved during scenario setup or session management is time returned to coaching, observation and feedback delivery.
Below are some of the highlights of the features we are excited to share with you:
Key Features of NAUTIS Instructor Station 2.0
Logic Editor
The Logic Editor is the centrepiece of this release. It enables simulation instructors to automate events and assignments within training scenarios, significantly reducing the manual workload during session setup and live delivery. Routine triggers, conditional events and scenario progressions can be pre-configured, allowing instructors to focus on what matters most during a session: the trainee.
Ease of Use
The user interface has been streamlined across the board. The number of clicks required to complete common instructor tasks has been reduced, making session setup faster and more intuitive. For busy training centres running back-to-back ship simulator training sessions, this translates directly into time saved per session.
Responsiveness
The system is significantly more responsive than the previous version, delivering an interface that is always ready for user input without lag or delay. In live training environments where instructors need to react quickly to trainee behaviour, a responsive interface is essential.
Customization
Instructor Station 2.0 offers greater flexibility in workspace organisation. Instructors can now work with multiple windows for different functions and display panels for multiple vessels simultaneously. This is particularly valuable in multi-vessel or multi-trainee scenarios where an instructor needs to monitor several inputs at once.
Simulation-based assessment
A new scorecard feature enables instructors to evaluate trainee performance directly within the platform. This formalises simulation based assessment as an integrated part of the training workflow, rather than a separate post-session activity. Instructors can record observations and scores during the exercise itself, improving the consistency and traceability of performance evaluations.
Early Access and Continued Development
The Instructor Station 2.0 is released in early access, meaning some features are ready for immediate use and testing while the team continues developing additional elements toward a complete version. VSTEP’s approach of releasing in early access allows the development to stay aligned with real instructor needs as they emerge in practice.
Maritime training centres and academies interested in testing the new simulation instructor platform and contributing feedback to future releases are encouraged to get in touch with the VSTEP team.
NAUTIS Instructor Station 2.0: Feature overview
| Feature | What it does | Benefit for instructors |
|---|---|---|
| Logic Editor | Automates events and assignments in training scenarios | Reduces manual workload, more time for coaching |
| Streamlined UI | Fewer clicks to complete common tasks | Faster session setup, less administrative friction |
| Responsiveness | Always-ready interface with no lag | Faster reaction to trainee behaviour in live sessions |
| Multi-window workspace | Multiple panels and vessel views simultaneously | Better oversight in multi-vessel or multi-trainee scenarios |
| Scorecard assessment | Evaluate trainee performance within the platform | Integrated, consistent and traceable performance records |
| Early access model | Active development based on user feedback | Features shaped by real instructor experience |
Contact VSTEP to request early access or explore the full NAUTIS Simulator.
About VSTEP
VSTEP creates innovative simulation software for professional organizations worldwide. We are a team of 60 explorers who are always up for challenges. We are not constrained by standards and are flexible in our approach to fulfilling the mission: enable learning by simulation.
We are all dedicated to the same vision: ensure that at least one-third of the maritime industry has obtained their skills through our simulation technology. Hence, we strive to make a great contribution to creating a more sustainable world. We invest in continuous R&D of our software and work passionately as a team to get there.
What is NAUTIS Instructor Station 2.0 and who is it designed for?
NAUTIS Instructor Station 2.0 is the updated instructor interface for the NAUTIS maritime simulator, designed for instructors at maritime training centres, naval academies and professional training organisations. It streamlines scenario setup, session management and trainee assessment into a single, more efficient workflow, reducing administrative tasks so instructors can focus on teaching and coaching.
What is the Logic Editor in NAUTIS Instructor Station 2.0?
The Logic Editor is a feature that allows instructors to automate events, triggers and assignments within training scenarios. Instead of manually intervening during a live session, instructors can pre-configure conditional logic so the simulator handles routine scenario progressions automatically. This reduces workload during sessions and improves the consistency of scenario delivery across different training groups.
How does simulation-based assessment work in NAUTIS Instructor Station 2.0?
NAUTIS Instructor Station 2.0 includes a scorecard feature that enables instructors to evaluate trainee performance directly within the platform during or after a training session. This integrates performance assessment into the simulator workflow, making it easier to record observations consistently, compare trainee progress over time and produce structured feedback reports.
How is NAUTIS Instructor Station 2.0 different from the previous version?
The key differences are in workflow efficiency, responsiveness and assessment capability. The interface requires significantly fewer clicks to complete common tasks, responds faster to instructor input and introduces the Logic Editor for scenario automation and a scorecard for structured trainee assessment. The workspace is also more flexible, supporting multiple windows and vessel panels simultaneously for complex multi-trainee training environments.
