Technical Session 6 – e-Navigation – Part 1

Technical Session 6 – e-Navigation – Part 1

Chair:    Mr Bill Cairns (USA)
Vice Chair    Dr Nick Ward (UK)

Introduction by Chair
The Chairman introduced the session by saying that e-Navigation affects all IALA Committees and that this afternoon’s session will focus on development and early implementation of e-Nav.

Advanced usage of AIS and e-Navigation, Cdr Hitoshi Hatakeyama, VTS System Engineering Office, AtoN Engineering Division, Maritime Traffic Department, Japan Coast Guard

Presented by Captain Toshio Takahashi.
AIS has been installed in all vessels which are subject to the carriage requirement, beginning in July 2002 and being completed in July 2007, in accordance with the SOLAS agreement.  In Japan, shore-based AIS stations were installed with a view to maximise capability but it is believed that the potential of AIS has not been fully utilised yet.  This presentation provided the current status of AIS usages and activities for advanced AIS utilisation in the future.
The key points of the presentation were:
1    Provision of information for safety of navigation.
145    Enhancement of efficiency in vessel traffic.
146    Activities being undertaken by Japan for advanced usage such as:
1    a    Study of binary messages for international use commenced in 2004 culminating in a Safety of Navigation Circular being issued by IMO NAV Sub-Committee;
2    b    Study of AIS AtoN to address lack of clarity of standards for AIS AtoN;
3    c    Study on ENSS address limitations of AIS Minimum Keyboard Display;
Conclusion: It is possible to develop more advanced usage of AIS such as use of GMDSS and utilisation in VTS enhancement of safety measures requiring extensive research.

Integrated Aids to Navigation Management, Monitoring and Information System - Possible Component of e-Navigation, Eng Marek Ledochowski and Marek Dziewicki, Maritime Office, Gdynia and Mr Artur Baranowski, Sprint Ltd - Poland

Presented by Eng Marek Ledochowski.
The idea to create a single and simple way for managing and monitoring different aids to navigation systems has appeared when technical development enabled such a solution.
It was decided to link traditional aids to navigation, dGNSS and AIS into one holistic system (application) for managing and monitoring.
This approach will have significant impact as a single source of navigational information on future e-Navigation, which is a new concept in designing IT systems used in navigation.
The additional task is to create a live and holistic image of the maritime traffic overview fed by a system of Aids to Navigation installations including AIS and local radio-navigation augmentation status.  It is assumed that other important maritime information must be displayed as well.  Display system is based on multi touch technology – extremely friendly for users.  The concept also includes mobile applications usage.
The key points of the presentation were:
1    The rationale and timing of the project .
2    System architecture concept.  The system enables AtoN status data, DGPS broadcasts and AIS data and MSI to be integrated in a database for subsequent use various users with different needs e.g. maintenance management, navigation safety management.  System architecture diagram showed the communications links and hardware.
3    User interface concept based on touch screen technology giving flexibility to easily change, layer and filter the data displayed.  The system is called the ‘Polish Single Window’.
4    Conclusions.
4    a    Integrated solution, that will impact e-Navigation;
5    b    IMO categorisation used for parameters.

e-Navigation and Safety Back-up for Port Pilotage, Captain John Elyett and Mr Neil Trainor, Maritime Safety Queensland - Australia

Presented by Neil Trainor.
In October 2006 a new deep draft departure channel, 10 kilometres long, was commissioned at Hay Point with minimal fixed beacons and no leads.
In order to achieve optimum utilisation and maximise deep draft access to the new channel, one of the world's first integrated e-Navigation systems was introduced to ensure the safe passage of deep draught departing ships.
The system developed at Hay Point combines and integrates two distinct components, namely:
1    A portable pilot unit (PPU) {onboard}.
147    Shore based monitoring capability (Hay Point Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) centre).
The Vessel Traffic Service at Hay Point monitors the ship's track through the ship's AIS which transmits data back to Hay Point VTS.  The system creates an electronic corridor.
Standard Operating procedures ensure that should there be a system failure onboard the ship, the pilot can ask for navigation assistance from the VTSO.  The shore based VTS replicates most information that is onboard the ship.
The Hay Point harbour master has instigated a simple grid system which depicts distance along the channel and offset from the channel centreline.  Should the pilot lose onboard situational information they will be provided with an immediate position which allows them to take instantaneous corrective action to retain track.
This project has taken e-Navigation to the next level through the delivery of a highly sophisticated and integrated ship and shore system.  This is the distinct and unique attribute that sets this project apart from others of its type around the world.
Since the system was commissioned in March 2007 there have been five occasions when the shore based assistance has been activated due to equipment failure onboard.
The key points of the presentation were:
Reduce physical aids to navigation leading to significant savings in set up costs ($AUS 0.8M).
Use a tried and tested back-up method should the PPU fail.
High level of trust has been developed through well trained VTSOs and pilots, who have access to identical information.  VTSO will contact the pilot if a major deviation from the centreline of tyhe channel occurs.
VTSOs provide information service not navigational assistance.; advising not directing.

Maritime Information Systems as a component of e-Navigation, Professor Lee Alexander, University of New Hampshire

Presented by Professor Lee Alexander.
The scope of what constitutes ‘Maritime Information Systems’ (MIS) as a component of e-Navigation was described.  There is a wide variety of navigation equipment, systems, services and processes that fall under the e-Navigation concept of operations.  This includes shore-based services such as VTS, and shipborne equipment/systems including radar/ARPA, ECDIS, AIS, GNSS, and INS.  A distinction was made between ‘information’ and ‘data’.  Whether shipborne or ashore, any data must eventually be converted into a presentation/display of ‘information’ that can be used for situational awareness or decision-support.  At present, there are no specific standards related to the presentation/display of shore-based information (e.g., at a VTS Centre).  Some ‘guiding principles’ and recommendations on the best way forward were provided.
The key points of the presentation were:
1    What are (or will be) e-Navigation related equipment, systems, services?
2    What do IMO’s objectives actually mean.  Some of these are even unachievable.
3    What are the various information needs (shore-based and shipborne)?  Just displaying more information isn’t necessarily better.  Therefore need to temper the extent of systems.
4    What is the difference between ‘information’ and ‘data’.
5    What are (or will be) some of the more important presentation/display issues related to e-Navigation?Need to be open to new display methods and opportunities.
6    There are some significant challenges/opportunities related to harmonizing shore-based and shipborne e-Navigation-related information. 
7    A potential issue is that 95% of e-Navigation requirements are being developed by government and related agencies rather than user.
8    Eliminating the bad ideas is difficult but essential.  A sleeping giant is the number and types of AIS messages that will be possible.  However the lack of a requirement to display binary messages will be a limiting factor.
9    In future there will be ‘nowcasts’ which are continuously updated broadcasts.
148    Pilots who are equipped with Portable Pilot units, will be the early innovators for e-Nav.

Maritime Safety Information Relay through Navigational databases - A Step towards e-Navigation, Mr Paulo Rafael da Silva, Instituto Hidrografico - Portugal

Presented by Lt Cdr Victor Conceiçâo.
There is some consensus regarding the need of efficient data channels enabling a timely exchange of maritime safety information.  Another related issue is the ongoing discussion on web capabilities and web-based services that will be included as a part of e-Navigation.
The presentation focused on explaining the work done in Portugal by the Instituto Hidrográfico (IH) in developing web-based services, supported by robust navigational databases, which are already providing mariners with MSI in an organised friendly manner.
IH has been using the web to disseminate periodic Notices to Mariners for a long time.  This has evolved in such a manner that a mariner may, for instance create a custom portfolio and be automatically warned whenever it changes.
Navigational databases and development of new services continue and IH expects to be able, in the short term, to provide a planning tool incorporating information from nautical charts, sailing directions, lists of lights and Maritime Safety Information (MSI).
The key points of the presentation were:
1    Dissemination of Notices to Mariners (NtM) and coastal Navigational Warnings (NW) has been progressively enhanced since 1998 (through web-based delivery (the ANAVnet application):
a    Version 2 has implemented including correlating NtM, coastal and local NW with the charts and nautical publications.  Version 2A of ANAVnet has enabled graphical data to be accessible for other applications including Geographic Information Systems;
b    ANAVnet Version 3 is currently being implemented and will address quality control and geo-referencing and linking of ANAVnet with the List of Lights.
2    Future ANAVnet development will include improved compatibility and integration of NtM and NW with onboard systems (ECDIS), standards for geo-referencing MSI and the possibility for mariners to be sent hydrographic formatted reports, using ECDIS and binary AIS messages.
3    Consider that ANAVnet could be an e-Navigation component with some improvements including dedicated and secure communication channels; availability and standardization agreements?
Discussion – Technical Session 6 – Part 1 (papers 1 - 5)
No time was available for questions so the Chairman asked delegates with questions to put these in writing or follow up with speakers at the break.