Safer navigation at sea
An EU-funded project set out to enable the safer and more efficient use of waterways by improving the provision of real-time, accurate traffic information sent to operators on board. The concept was to give pilots a clear and instant picture of the traffic situation immediately relevant to them, reduce the need for voice radio communications and thus beneficially impact the efficiency and safety of traffic flow. The project, entitled 'Innovative portable pilot assistance' (IPPA), aimed to achieve this through the development and validation of portable pilot equipment capable of receiving comprehensive traffic images at sea. Data would be sent from a shore-based 'Vessel traffic services' (VTS) centre, which, combined with stored data and data from other vessels, would display a comprehensive traffic image. It was also established from the outset that the equipment would need to be capable of functioning autonomously, and of transmitting data back to a VTS centre for traffic and port management. The IPPA project also consciously planned to build on existing information technologies, and was assisted in this regard by the United States Coastguard and members of both the European and International Maritime Pilots Associations. The thinking behind this approach was that the end product would be an extension of available commercial systems, providing a 'low cost' option for vessels not covered by the carriage requirements of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). It was envisaged that the technology could one day be used by a wide range of end users from larger yachts to cargo ships. The project began by consulting relevant user groups and identifying state-of-the-art technology that could be harnessed. This was then followed by specifying the equipment's functional requirements, in order to facilitate concise system architecture. Initially three demonstrations (Venice, Tromsø and Rotterdam) of the technology were planned, to give as wide an exposure as possible to both pilots and other stakeholders. This however was later reduced to two (Tromsø and Rotterdam). These trials enabled the IPPA concept to be successfully demonstrated to a variety of end users. The project has also helped to draw attention to the need for standardisation and interoperability between maritime and inland waterway administrations throughout Europe, not least in cooperation with other European Commission-sponsored projects. It has also drawn attention for the need to deal with protocols and performance standards at the global level - something that would help make seas everywhere safer to navigate.