Radar Support System for Safer Navigation

Abstract

Despite several improvements to promote safe navigation, accidents, collisions, and grounding have not decreased. The following causes of maritime accidents including collisions and grounding have been identified : Ship operators fail to obey navigation rules; Operators maneuver improperly; Operators do not verify the ship's position; Operators keep insufficient lookout; Operators fail to observe conditions of the waterway. To address these known causes of accidents, instruments to support the navigator were developed and combined in a more compact and lightweight console. The accuracy of the Electronic Navigation Chart (ENC) and precise indicators of one's own ship's position were improved and simultaneously displayed with the scheduled course. Additional radar functions of echo overlap and Automatic Radar Plotting Aids (ARPA) were also installed. Furthermore, the authors emphasized improving the systematic tracking of the ship's radar signal. Combining these functions in a more compact and lightweight console is the new development to support vessel operators to have timely information in their navigation. To evaluate our improvements relating to five functions of radar support, the authors tested them in two trials aboard the Training Ship Shioji-maru and in one trial on land from a radar research van. From our experience analyzing the five functions; Electronic Chart and Display Information System (ECDIS), the radar functions for preventing collisions and running aground, the plotting of the ship's course, the waterway lookout, and the ship's own trail, we consider that the results successfully promote safer navigation.