ESABALT - Improvement of Situational Awareness in the Baltic with the Use of Crowdsourcing

This paper presents the key assumptions and preliminary research on an integrated system called ESABALT, for enhancing maritime safety, which incorporates the latest technological advances in positioning, e-Navigation, Earth observation systems and multi-channel cooperative communications. The most novel part of the ESABALT concept, however, is a focus on user-driven crowdsourcing techniques for information gathering and integration. The system will consist of a situational awareness solution for real-time maritime traffic monitoring via utilizing various positioning technologies; an observation system of the marine environment relevant to transportation and accidents including assessing the sea ice, oil spread, waves, wind etc.; and a methodology for context-aware maritime communication with cooperative, multi-channel capabilities. The paper presents the intelligent, novel, user-driven solution and associated services developed in ESABALT for enhancing the maritime safety in the whole Baltic area

Navigational knowledge base

Na statkach morskich i w ośrodkach kontroli ruchu coraz częściej instalowane są systemy wspomagające prace nawigatorów. Do niedawna działania systemów obejmowały zadania wykonywane uprzednio manualnie, np. akwizycji, śledzenia, odbioru informacji itd. Obecnie wspomaganie systemów może dotyczyć o wiele większego obszaru, obszaru dla którego wymagane jest posiadanie wiedzy dotyczącej np. pracy, zasad zachowania, przepisów itd. Przykładem jest prototyp systemu wspomagania decyzji nawigacyjnej budowanego w Akademii Morskiej w Szczecinie. Praca tego systemu opiera się o bazę wiedzy nawigacyjnej. W artykule przedstawiono definicję wiedzy nawigacyjnej, jej prezentację oraz funkcje w systemie wspomagania decyzji nawigacyjnej.Navigators' support systems have been introduced on the sea going ships and in the vessel traffic centers. Those systems had been until recently used for manually performed tasks like: equiring, monitoring, information reception etc. Nowadays, supporting systems may concern much wider areas, especially areas in which knowledge about work, behaviour, regulations etc. is required. An example of such a system could be a prototype of navigational decision support system being built at the Maritime University of Szczecin. The article presents a definition of navigational knowledge, its representation and function in navigational decision support system

Shape and Dimension of Ship's Safety Zones

Bezpieczne prowadzenie statku wymaga ciągłej identyfikacji i oceny sytuacji nawigacyjnej. Ocena bezpieczeństwa statku własnego sprowadzana jest często do ustalenia i obserwacji stref wokół statku. Pojawienie się obiektów obcych w tych strefach powoduje powstanie zagrożenia bezpieczeństwa nawigacji i wymaga jego oszacowania oraz podjęcia odpowiednich przeciwdziałań. Innym podejściem jest sytuacja, w której zachowanie odpowiedniego poziomu bezpieczeństwa nawigacji wymaga nawigowanie w ramach ustalonej strefy (np. strefa rozgraniczenia ruchu). W artykule przedstawiono różne rodzaje stref bezpieczeństwa statku oraz ich przeznaczenie.Ship's safety requires continuous identification and assessment of the navigational situation. The assessment of own ship's safety is often reduced to watching the established zones around the ship. The safety level is decreased when another object disturbs the established zones, which requires evaluating the risk and making adequate countermeasures. The situation when we have to maintain an adequate level of safety leads to another approach, i.e. it requires navigating the ship within an established zone (traffic separation scheme). In the paper different kinds of ship's zones and their purpose are presented

Determination of ship's safe navigation lane in the navigational information system

This monograph presents a concept of the determination and use of ship's safe navigation lane in navigational information systems. The ship's safe navigation lane is called navlane in this work and is determined from its parameters, chart data, accuracy of position identification and provisions of Collision Regulations. The work consists of an introduction, four chapters and a summary. The introduction provides a historical outline to the problem, discusses the current state of research on the determination of safe movement trajectories, finally sets the aim and scope of this work. Chapter 1 presents properties of the marine navigational information system, which combines a navigational system and an information system. The former enables estimating of own ship's position, the latter provides an image of the navigational situation. Chapter 2 includes methods of presenting cartographic objects in the navigational information system. Chapter 3 gives a definition and method of the determination of safe ship movement lane. Finally, in the last fourth chapter the reader will find practical use of ship movement lane ensuring safe navigation, accounting for the impact of the marine environment, e.g. tides, and collision avoidance. In the summary, most essential conclusions and remarks are presented

Działanie systemu wspomagania decyzji w warunkach rzeczywistych

Officers of the watch, while performing their duties, relay on their best professional knowledge. The watchkeeping officer alone has to evaluate the present navigational situation and undertake proper maneuvers in order to avoid collisions or close quarter situations. Any manoeuvre has to be made in accordance with international rules and be well predictable by other ships in the vicinity. This one-man decision making process needs assistance. It could be delivered by new, often artificial intelligence tools – decision support systems. Such prototype system has been created at the Maritime University of Szczecin. This article presents results of tests performed in real marine conditions.Nawigator podczas pełnienia wachty, podejmując decyzje, kieruje się własnym doświadczeniem. Samodzielnie musi ocenić sytuację nawigacyjną i wykonać właściwy manewr w celu uniknięcia kolizji bądź sytuacji nadmiernego zbliżenia. Każdy manewr musi być wykonywany w zgodzie z przepisami międzynarodowymi, zrozumiały i przewidywalny dla innych statków w sąsiedztwie. Ten samodzielny proces podejmowania decyzji potrzebuje asysty. Stanowić ją może nowe, inteligentne narzędzie – system wspomagania decyzji. Prototyp takiego systemu został zbudowany na Akademii Morskiej w Szczecinie. Artykuł przedstawia wyniki testów systemu wspomagania decyzji przeprowadzonych w warunkach rzeczywistych

Assessment of a navigational situation in a fairway using an artificial neural network with fuzzy logic

One of the stages that navigation is composed of is making decisions. One indispensable condition for making adequate decisions is assessment of a navigational situation. This article presents one modern method for supporting the decision-making process. The method consists in assessing a navigational situation with the use of artificial intelligence

Internet based GMDSS course

Artykuł przedstawia założenia internetowego kursu dla operatora łączności GMDSS. Kurs jest opracowywany przez grupę ekspertów z dziesięciu krajów europejskich. W tej grupie znaleźli się również specjaliści z Akademii Morskiej w Szczecinie. Prace są realizowane w ramach projektu finansowanego przez Unię Europejską z programu Leonardo da Vinci.The article presents the guidelines of an internet based GMDSS course. It has been prepared by a group of experts from ten European countries, among others lecturers from the Maritime Academy of Szczecin. The project EGMDSS has been worked out within the framework of European Union Leonardo da Vinci Programme

Understanding information systems

Electronic Chart Display and Information System became one of the main devices on navigation bridge. ECIDS supports navigation by gathering information and automating some process like plotting of position of own ship and other objects on the scene. ECDIS as every equipment has got advantages and limitations. Their understanding should help navigators to perform watches in a safer way. This article presents discussion about some deficiencies of ECDIS. Discussion is underlined by two accidents which show when misunderstanding or overreliance may lead to catastrophic consequences

Integrity aspects in presentation of ship's position in onborad information systems

Electronic Chart Display and Information System became nowadays the main equipment for presentation of marine ship's position and perform of basic navigational tasks. There are new information systems under development like Marine Decision Support System. All systems require constant information about position of own ship and other objects in the vicinity. Information is gathered from onboard navigational systems. Integrity of that information is crucial for taking its full advantage and presentation in onboard information systems

Understanding of navigational information systems

Navigational information systems became one of the main devices on ship’s bridge supporting navigators in evaluation of navigational situation and undertaking decisions. For instance ECIDS supports navigation by gathering information and automating some process like plotting of position of own ship and other objects on the scene. Any navigational information system has got advantages and limitations. Their understanding should help navigators to perform watches in a safer way. This article presents a discussion on some deficiencies of navigational information systems. Discussion is underlined by three accidents, which show when misunderstanding or overreliance may lead to catastrophic consequences