International Journal

on Marine Navigation

and Safety of Sea Transportation

Volume 1

Number 3

September 2007

257

The Development of e-Navigation

D. Patraiko

The Nautical Institute, London, UK

ABSTRACT: E-navigation is, at the moment, a catchall phrase for a concept of bringing existing and new

technology together to improve safety of navigation, commercial efficiency and security. The challenge for the

industry working through the IMO will be to produce a unified strategy for this integration and then (and only

then) to develop specific systems to meet the needs. This is no small feat! Chart data and systems need to be

brought to an agreeable standard; position fixing systems need to be of high integrity; and communication

systems need to be establishing that meet the needs of e-navigation with agreed technology, protocols and

payment plans. This all needs to be achieved with an acceptable cost/benefit balance.

1 INTRODUCTION

The concept of e-navigation is to integrate existing

and new navigational tools in an all-embracing

system that will contribute to enhanced navigational

safety and commercial efficiency.

The International Association of Lighthouse

Authorities (IALA) has defined E-Navigation as

“the harmonized collection, integration, exchange

and presentation of maritime information aboard

and ashore by electronic means to enhance berth-to-

berth navigation and related services, safety and

security at sea, and the protection of the marine

environment.”

In December 2005, Japan, Marshall Islands,

Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, UK and USA

submitted a paper (MSC 81/23/10) to the IMO

Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) on the

development of an e-navigation strategy and, in

which, it was proposed to add a new item on

e-navigation to the work programmes of the NAV

and COMSAR Sub-committees. The paper goes on

to propose that the aim should be to develop a

strategic vision for the utilization of existing and

new navigational tools, in particular electronic tools,

in a holistic and systematic manner. e-navigation, the

paper argued, would help reduce navigational

accidents, errors and failures by developing

standards for an accurate and cost effective system

that would make a major contribution to the IMO’s

agenda of safe, secure and efficient shipping on

clean oceans. MSC 81 agreed that the two Sub-

Committees should consider the issues with the aim

of developing a ‘strategic vision’ within their

associated work programmes for taking this issue

forward to report to MSC 85 in 2008. It is towards

creating this ‘strategic vision’ by 2008 that the

industry and international bodies like IALA and IHO

are now focused.

2 SECRETARY GENERAL’S VIEW

Following this meeting of the MSC, on 22 May

2006, Efthimios Mitropoulos, Secretary-General of

the IMO addressed the issue of e-navigation in his

keynote address at the quadrennial IALA conference

in Shanghai. The following is an extract from this

address and which clearly illustrates the concepts

and ambitions for e-navigation:

“There is no doubt that we are now entering a

crucial stage in the development of what has become

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known by the "catch-all" designation of "e-

navigation". Many of the building blocks are in

place, but what is still in an embryonic state is the

global strategic vision needed to ensure that the new

generation of navigational tools, available to us now

and in the near future, can be drawn together in a

holistic and systematic manner or, in other words,

into an all-embracing system. If we get this right, we

have the opportunity to secure not only a greater

level of safety and accident prevention but, at the

same time, deliver substantial operating efficiencies

with consequent commercial benefits.

Although it is difficult, at this stage, to be precise

about the full extent of the changes that might be

necessary to realize fully a vision of e-navigation, it

does, nevertheless, seem reasonable to assume that

they will be extensive and fundamental. In the digital

world, anything seems to be possible and nothing is

sacred. As well as IALA's world of aids to navigation,

the whole gamut of shipboard navigational tools is

on the brink of revolution and the impact of this is

likely to be felt in working methods and practices,

personnel training, communications and the

shoreside infrastructure. It is also very likely that, as

the overall strategy for e-navigation becomes

clearer, there will be implications for the

international regulatory framework, and I can

assure you that IMO stands ready to address this

issue and deal with it effectively when the time

comes. The recent reaction of MSC to relevant

proposals bears testimony to this.

There seem to be clear advantages in the

development of e navigation that will contribute to

enhanced navigational safety (with all the positive

repercussions this will have on maritime safety

overall and environmental protection) while simu-

ltaneously reducing the burden on the navigator and

I am sure that all relevant factors will be

meticulously examined before we move onto

endorsing the proposed system. This may take some

time but, as I observed at MSC two weeks ago, even

the longest walk starts with a first step.

3 PROGRESS

Subsequently, in July 2006, e-navigation was added

to the 52

session of the IMO Safety of Navigation

Sub-Committee (NAV 52) work programme and

initial discussions undertaken. The main outcome of

these preliminary discussions was the decision to

establish a Correspondence Group, co-coordinated

by the UK, and instructed to report back to NAV 53

(July 07).

The Correspondence Group were issued terms of

reference to consider, provide comments and make

recommendations on the following:

− the definition and scope of the concept of e-

navigation in terms of its purpose, components

and limitations to produce a system architecture;

− the identification of the key issues and priorities

that will have to be addressed in a strategic vision

and a policy framework on e-navigation;

− the identification of both benefits of and obstacles

that may arise in the further development of such

a strategic vision and policy framework;

− the identification of the roles of the Organization,

its Member States, other bodies and industry in

the further development of such a strategic vision

and policy framework;

− the formulation of a work programme for the

further development of such a strategic vision and

policy framework, including an outline migration

plan and recommendations on the roles of the

NAV and COMSAR Sub-Committees and the

input of other parties concerned.

There are many groups and organisations

nationally and internationally who are providing

input to the IMO e-navigation CG. One of these

working at an international level is the newly formed

IALA e-navigation Committee. Launched during the

Shanghai Conference mentioned earlier, IALA

formed an e-navigation committee with a four-year

work programme. IALA will use this dedicated

committee of international delegates, practioners and

technical experts to build on its expertise in the

fields of aids to navigation and VTS to contribute

significantly to the concept of e-navigation through

the IMO.

4 WORK OF IALA

While the work of the IALA e-navigation committee

is on going, to date the committee has agreed that e-

navigation is a concept that incorporates systems and

services and that it identifies at least three significant

outcomes of e-navigation, notably:

1 Onboard navigation systems will be developed

that benefit from the integration of own ship

sensors, supporting information, a standard user

interface, and a comprehensive system for

managing guard zones and alerts. Core elements

of such a system will include high integrity

electronic positioning, electronic navigational

charts (ENCs) and system functionality with

analysis reducing human error, actively engaging

the mariner in the process of navigation while

preventing distraction and overburdening.

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2 The management of vessel traffic and related

services from ashore will be enhanced through

better provision, coordination, and exchange of

comprehensive data in formats that will be more

easily understood and utilised by shore-based

operators in support of vessel safety and

efficiency.

3 E-navigation will thus provide an infrastructure

designed to enable authorised seamless informa-

tion transfer onboard ship, between ships, between

ship and shore and between shore authorities and

other parties with many attendant benefits,

including a reduction of single person error.

IALA further states that the key goals for e-

navigation should be:

− To improve the safety of marine navigation for all

vessels and protection of the environment,

− To improve the efficiency of marine navigation

and vessel traffic services,

− To provide opportunities for improving the

efficiency of transport and logistics,

− To improve the monitoring of and communication

with sea-borne transport therefore enabling

competent authorities to provide enhanced

security and other allied services,

− To support SAR services and incident man-

agement, and

− To provide improved tools to facilitate optimum

support and to engage mariners and shore based

users whilst maintaining high levels of attention

without causing distraction or undue burden.

Given that e-navigation is a concept, that concept

is a path or a strategy under which systems are

brought together in a harmonised fashion. However

many believe that for the full effectiveness of e-

navigation is to be realised core elements have to be

in place such as complete Electronic Navigation

Chart (ENC) coverage of navigational areas; a robust

electronic positioning system (with redundancy)

needs to be in place; and an infrastructure of

communications needs to be agreed.

5 WORK OF THE NAUTICAL INSTITUTE

The Nautical Institute endorses the concept of

e-navigation and the need to bring together a

disparate collection of electronic systems, together

with traditional skills, to improve the safety and

efficiency of shipping. Although the ultimate goal of

shipping is to move cargo from point A to B in order

to support the world economy and societies needs,

the shipboard component of e-navigation is critical

to the whole system success. Following years of

research and consultation with mariners The

Nautical Institute has proposed that an S-Mode may

be able to play a pivotal role within the concept of

e-navigation for improving the safety of navigation.

5.1 S-Mode

It is recognised that there is a vital need to embrace

new technology and for manufacturers to be able to

innovate with the expectation that if they get it right,

they will be rewarded with sales of their products.

Recent innovations include the Chart Radar; New

Technology (NT) non-pulse Radar; ECDIS; just to

name a few. Significant innovations from the past

have included electronic position fixing systems, the

gyrocompass and even the chronometer in its day, to

name but a few. Standardisation of navigation

equipment on the bridge however would simplify

training and ensure that pilots and mariners could

instantly be familiar with the operation of such

equipment when joining a vessel and therefore be

better placed to concentrate on making good

decisions. The question therefore is how to balance

these two objectives!

The concept of S-Mode builds on the concept of a

‘default setting’ by being a ‘default mode’. This

mode is made possible by the increasing use of

Multi-Function Displays (MFD) where Radar,

charts, electronic position systems etc are inputs that

can be arranged or re-arranged in any form on a

display.

S-Mode would require all navigation displays,

regardless of manufacture, to have a clearly identified

button, that when pressed brings the display into a

standard format with a standard menu/control

system, standard interface (i.e. keyboard/joystick

etc..) and basic features. For example there may have

to be tactical display, for near time decisions

(collision, and hazard avoidance) and another

display for planning. At the press of a button the

tactical display might revert to a 12 mile range Radar

view with targets showing relative vectors and

perhaps hazardous depth contours shown (from

vector chart data, such as used on a Chart Radar).

This view would be standardised and familiar to all

pilots and mariners, and then could be manipulated

through a standard menu system for a limited,

although adequate, functionality. The advantage to

this would be that:

− Training for S-Mode could be standardised

throughout the world

− Any mariner or pilot would be comfortable to

revert to S-Mode and be competent in using the

systems layout and functionality, regardless of

manufacturer.

− Masters or companies could impose S-Mode only

uses by crews until such time that they have

proven they are competent to use further

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functionality that may have been provided by

individual manufactures.

− S-mode could also be used at times when the

bridge team is made up of multiple persons who

need to share a common display for decision

making.

With the performance of S-Mode secured and

strictly governed by the IMO, manufacturers would

be able to develop further functionality that they

could market to shipowners as ‘value added feature’.

If, in time, these innovative features proved to be

popular and effective, they could then be brought

into ‘S-Mode’ in a controlled way by the IMO.

At a basic level, some ships might opt to only

have S-Mode functionality installed, but there may

be other vessels which by the nature of their trade or

quality of their training can take advantage of new

and innovative features that would be developed by

the industry.

This is a fledgling idea and the Nautical Institute

is currently working with various organizations and

stakeholders to further explore the possibility of

developing S-Mode.

Ultimately, whether S-Mode is accepted or not,

vessels navigation systems need to be designed to

work both independently and jointly with shore

service to improve the operators ability to focus on

the most critical aspects of safe navigation, limiting

distractions and reducing single person errors. The

application of technology for this goal will only be a

single component, and must be equally supported by

the establishment of ‘best procedures’ for use and

effective training for both the operation of such

equipment and the procedures.

6 CONCLUSION

E-Navigation is a concept that incorporates systems

and services and will generally bring the integration

of electronic systems and information within a

strategic plan governed by the IMO.

There are many stakeholders that will be affected

by e-navigation and who will have to be involved in

its development. These include but are not limited to

mariners, pilots, port authorities, port services,

coastal states, manufacturers, data providers, ship-

owners, and of course, the IMO.

The current plan is for all these groups to work

through the IMO in order to create a strategic plan

for the development and implementation of e-

navigation by the time that MSC 85 meets in 2008.

Existing technology and the ability to integrate

systems today provide an almost limitless scope for

what e-navigation might consist of, and therefore it

is absolutely critical that at this stage of development

the concept is lead by user needs, or in terms of

current IMO parlance, e-navigation becomes ‘Goal

Based’.