Abhijith Balakrishnan,MNI

Virtual Aids to Navigation

• Aid to Navigation:-o Light houses etc.,o GNSS (including

Terrestrial Radio Nav.)o Beacons,o Raconso Floating Aidso Fog Signalso AIS (IALA now

recognises it as an AtoN)

AtoN

• Faster Ships• Larger Ships• More Ships• Congestion• Reduced Manning• Increasing Paperwork• Multitasking Mariner • Tired and Anxious

Mariner

The need for eNavigation

• All these point to a compelling need to equip the seafarers and the shore based authorities with proven tools optimised for quicker and a far better decision making that will result in safer ships, safer seas and happier people- seafarers included.

The case for eNavigation

The objectives of the eNavigation project

1. Safe and Secure Navigation of Vessels2. Facilitate communications including data exchange between vessel and shore3. Integrate and present information onboard and ashore to maximize information and minimise confusion.4. Global Coverage with consistent standards and inter operability.

What the world is doing about it

• 2006, MSC 81 • development of a e navigation strategy with target date

of completion by 2008• 2008, MSC 85

• The draft strategy agreed• 2009

• Identified ,reviewed and prioritised initial user needs,• review of system architecture,

• the hardware, data, information, communications technology and software

(A workshop of virtual aids to navigation -From concept to Practice“ was held between January 25- ２ 8 at St Germain en Laye in France)

What the World is doing about it

• by 2010 - complete initial gap analyses.• focus on technical, regulatory, operational and training aspects

• by 2011 - complete cost-benefit and risk analyses, • address financial and economic aspects• assess the impact on safety, security and the environment; )

• 2012 - implementation of the e-navigation plan could begin in 2012 and o should include identification of responsibilities of the appropriate

organizations/parties;o transition planning; o phased implementation schedule

o possible roadmaps to clarify common understanding necessary for implementation

Definition of eNavigation

• IMOThe draft strategy defines e-navigation as the• harmonized collection, • integration, • exchange, • presentation and • analysis

• of marine information • onboard • and ashore

• by electronic means • to enhance

• berth to berth navigation and • related services for safety and security at sea and

protection of the marine environment.

The case for Virtual AtoNs

• Physical AtoNs • difficult to install, • particularly expensive and • sometimes unrealistic

• Supplementing traditional AtoNs with Virtual data• a cost effective and dynamic • a more safer and efficient navigation in the area

• VAtoNs • provide Virtual waypoints as tried by the Danish Administration to assist the

mariner in route planning and execution.    

• Data could me made available to only to relevant users. For eg., only a deep draft vessel may be advised of certain dangers.

General Information

•  There are three AIS AtoN categories: 

• Physical • actual AIS installed on an AtoN (buoy, lighthouse, etc.)

• Virtual • displayed as a electronic formatted symbol on an Electronic

Chart System (not a physical device) • Synthetic

• information received from other physical non-AIS AtoN devices, exported to and broadcasted by an AIS station 

General information

• Physical AIS AtoN units can be installed on fixed or floating aids and off-shore structures 。

• The AIS AtoN may eventually replace the RACON. • Meteorological and Hydrological data can be

broadcasted, if interfaced to the appropriate sensors

• AtoN AIS Station: • a special type of AIS station fitted to an existing physical AtoN

(e.g. buoy or lighthouse) • can provide real-time status and • positive identification of the AtoN.• also provide additional information to surrounding ships or back

to a shore authority on e.g. actual tidal height and local weather. • In the case of a floating aid an accurate position (corrected by

DGNSS) can be provided to check that it is on-station, and real-time 'health' information can be sent back for performance monitoring.

– A synthetic AtoN• using a communication link from the AtoN to an AIS-shore

station, • Shore stn provides AIS broadcasts for the AtoN where it is

impractical or uneconomic to fit the AIS unit to the AtoN itself

– A synthetic AtoN AIS consists of • a GNSS receiver, processor, and a non-AIS data-link, for

example packet radio or GSM. • The data is received ashore where it is converted into AIS

format and re-broadcast by AIS shore infrastructure as if it came from an AIS unit on the AtoN.

General information

• Virtual AtoN: • may be appropriate to create an apparent ('virtual') AtoN

on a display for a certain location, even though there is no physical AtoN there.

• information would clearly identify this as a virtual AtoN• and safeguards would be needed against false

representations. • There are some cases where virtual AtoN could be very

useful, • marking a new wreck until an actual buoy can be

established, • the effectiveness of AIS as an AtoN reduces at sites close

to the 30-mile limit.

• The GLA (UK) feels that the VAtoNs can be very useful in the short term for marking new obstructions like wreck, obstructions or floating debris.

• They don’t have to physically install a buoy but simply enter some data into a computer and all vessels will instantly receive the data on their chart or other appropriately developed navigation systems

• In the long term they even talk of marking the waterways like the motorways with cats eyes’

Some problems identified in test runs

• The problems that the test beds have now yielded has to do with o the display systems onboard and

Some MKD display systems are not capable of displaying VAtoN data. There can be no use if the VAtoN Data cannot be showed on a chart or on some such graphical display. There needs to be technological development from manufacturers of AIS, radars and ECDIS. Under present assumptions made only 25% of the sea going ships will be able to make use of this facility. If that be then there is no case for development of the VAtoNs. However if VAtoNs are not developed, then there is no case for the manufacturers to improve the display systems. So with the eNavigation initiative of the IMO we can hope that the cycle will close and we can have efficient VAtoNs helping us in the near future.

Some Problems identified in the test runs

• the understanding of the mariner. • They symbols that will be used. Although symbols have been developed for a AtoN or a

VAtoN, there are no symbols to specifically identify what the VAtoN stands to represent. For eg. Does it show a ne danger or

is it a port hand buoy.• A small possibility that such systems will induce a

sense of complacency. ( unfounded fears?)

• Why we could even have the virtual eyewear that the USCG and IIP talks about. Wear it and you could be looking out of the bridge

windows into a lane marked like the highways. Lane markers, cats eyes, turn points, various danger notices. We could well be driving a car!

• Let VAtoNs make Navigation a pleasure.• Let eNavigation make the seas safer and cleaner

and our job a lot more easier!!!

• http://www.informationinplace.com/inner.asp?id=348&category=3.

Look out in 2020?