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Content archived on 2024-05-27

Electronic Pilot Display and Information System

Objective

The volume of maritime transport increases. High-speed vessels and large RoRo ferries are introduced between major European business centres. They compete successfully with road traffic reducing pollution. Still, shipping accidents make us aware that there is still a pressing need to take new initiatives. Therefore a consortium has been set up to introduce a completely new safety approach for navigation.
Based on broad experience with the successful introduction of electronic charts, the next evolutionary step will be taken with a 3D geo-information system for safe navigation. It displays virtual coastlines as seen in an add-on window integrated into today's bridge equipment. Geo-information is automatically updated from shore-side. The project covers implementation as well as infrastructure for geographical information processing and demonstration test beds in the Baltic and the Mediterranean.

Objectives:
The overall goal of the EPDIS project is to achieve a significant improvement for safety of passage execution of high speed crafts as well as large RoRo and passenger vessels especially in congested coastal waterways. The idea of EPDIS is, to combine 3D geo-information from satellite survey with object data from current pilot book providing an interactive dynamic 3D visualisation for the navigation officer including visual sights of coastlines, harbour entrances, docking areas, channels, islands as seen from the bridge. Further on EPDIS comprises searching facilities for geographical data base information and real-time update from shore-side based VTS and harbour centres for dynamic information like tide, current, wind, construction work. The advantages for vessel operators are faster and more reliable information during critical passages.

Work description:
The work-plan comprises an initial phase, where specifications will be set up for all subsystems. The industrial and research participants in close partnership will carry out this work with the shipping companies.
In the following step, five subsystems will be implemented as an add-on for an electronic chart systems:
The production process for 3D-geographical information (stereo satellite pictures, laser survey);
The geographical information data base;
The three-dimensional viewer;
The EPDIS application programme;
The real-time link to shore based VTS centres.
In the third step these subsystems will be integrated and tested on two different platforms, one in the Baltic Sea on a fast Catamaran in service between Helsinki and Tallinn, one in the Mediterranean on a 990 TEU container ship in service between the Canary Islands and Barcelona. Finally the results will be presented to International Conferences and Exhibitions such as SMM in Hamburg in 2004.

Milestones:
M1 - Specification of subsystems and processing: month 6;
M2 - Subsystems completed, midterm-assessment: month 21;
M3 - Integration completed, ready for trials: month 27;
M4 - User trials completed, final assessment, exploitation, dissemination: month 33;
The result comprises a geographical database and 3D-viewer, integrated into a ship control centre and tested on a Baltic and a Mediterranean pilot. Further results comprise a system for processing 3D-data.

Call for proposal

Data not available

Coordinator

SAM ELECTRONICS GMBH
EU contribution
No data

Participants (5)