EfficienSea2 News: User-friendly e-Navigation solutions

The EU-funded EfficienSea2 project (ES2), which aims to implement innovative and smart solutions to support efficient, safe and sustainable traffic at sea, has undertaken a full-scale simulation of a wide variety of e-Navigation solutions.

Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, one of the ES2 partners, ran the simulations over 4 days using 8 navigators.  The navigators used a range of e-Navigation services including digitalized Navigation Warnings and an interactive VTS-reporting system in a full mission bridge simulated environment. The navigators planned their route before entering the simulator and had access to the BalticWeb tools to assist them. This web-based tool was used during the simulation to present new services to the mariners. As a demonstrator for e-Navigation solutions it provides an example of ES2 solutions in an ‘easy to use’ map-based platform which is easy to adapt for presentation on other maritime platforms making use of the Maritime Cloud – the centerpiece of the ES2 project.

Digital technology and systems provide almost limitless possibilities but bring with them added complexity and increased burdens on navigators. The results gained from the simulations will feed into the development and implementation of new digital services to ensure that navigators can be provided with timely and accessible information and focus on their primary task of safe navigation.

Human factors testing is an integral part of the ES2 project and the 32 partners involved all work to develop solutions with an eye towards the impact on seafarers. The project also includes Force Technology and Chalmers University of Technology, both leading in the field of human element and human-machine interfaces.

By Andy Winbow, CIRM’s EfficienSea2 Consultant

Update on the Secretariat’s technical activity – May and June

Throughout May, the CIRM Secretariat was kept busy with involvement in numerous important industry meetings, and the trend is set to continue in June.

In May, Secretary-General Frances Baskerville attended the RTCM Annual Assembly (Florida), the Digital Ship CIO Forum (Hamburg), and the major bi-annual industry event Nor-Shipping (Oslo).

Chief Technical Officer Richard Doherty chaired the Interim Progress Meeting of the CIRM/BIMCO Pilot Project (Copenhagen), a Maritime Cloud meeting at CIRM’s office (London), and a 2-day CIRM S-Mode Task Group meeting held at Inmarsat (London).

Technical Officer Phil Lane participated in the Joint Working Group on Cyber Systems at ABS House (London), an EMSA-hosted workshop on Electronic Tagging (Lisbon), the first week of ITU Working Party 5B meeting (Geneva), and he remotely participated in the 48th meeting of ETSI TG 26.

The three of us will also be involved in plenty of meetings in June, including the IMSO Advisory Committee, the 98th Session of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee, E-navigation Underway Asia-Pacific and an associated S-Mode Workshop in South Korea, IEC TC 80 Working Groups 6 (Interfaces) and 17 (CMDS), and a further meeting of the Joint Working Group on Cyber Systems.

Reports of relevant meetings are in development and will be circulated in due course.