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| Electronic Chart Display and Information System | |
|---|---|
| Name | Electronic Chart Display and Information System |
| Type | Navigation display system |
| Introduced | 1990s |
| Manufacturer | Various |
| Used by | International Maritime Organization, United States Navy, Royal Navy (United Kingdom), Maersk, Carnival Corporation & plc |
Electronic Chart Display and Information System
An Electronic Chart Display and Information System is an integrated navigation system that displays digital nautical charts and overlays vessel position, voyage data, and sensor information for maritime navigation. It is used aboard merchant ships, naval vessels, and pleasure craft to support route planning, monitoring, and collision avoidance alongside traditional paper charts and radar systems. The system interacts with global positioning, communication, and hydrographic services to present up-to-date navigational information for safe passage.
ECDIS integrates chart databases, Global Positioning System receivers, Automatic Identification System, and other sensors to provide a real-time navigational picture. It replaces or complements paper charts issued by national hydrographic offices such as the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Hydrographic Office (France) by rendering Electronic Navigational Charts with route planning, safety contours, and warnings. Flag states, classification societies like Lloyd's Register, manufacturers including Furuno Electric, Transas, and standards bodies such as the International Hydrographic Organization define functionality and presentation.
Early digital charting efforts in the 1980s by private firms and naval research units led to prototype ECDIS implementations used by Royal Netherlands Navy and commercial lines such as P&O Ferries. Development accelerated after the International Maritime Organization adopted performance standards and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea era raised interest in precise coastal operations. Companies like Kelvin Hughes, Rutter Inc., and Raymarine commercialized chart plotters, while standards from the International Electrotechnical Commission and the International Organization for Standardization formalized data formats. Adoption increased following high-profile incidents and regulatory mandates in the 2000s that tied carriage requirements to ship type and voyage.
An ECDIS installation typically comprises a chart display unit, a dedicated computer, Global Navigation Satellite System receivers such as GLONASS, input from an Inertial Navigation System or gyrocompass like Sperry Corporation units, and interfaces to Automatic Identification System transceivers and radars from vendors such as Garmin and Siemens. Software handles chart rendering, route planning, cross-track error alerts, and alarm management calibrated to International Maritime Organization conventions. User interfaces present layers including depth contours from hydrographic surveys by agencies like the Australian Hydrographic Service and tidal data derived from institutes such as the United Kingdom Met Office.
ECDIS uses authoritative vector charts, primarily Electronic Navigational Charts produced by national hydrographic offices like the Norwegian Hydrographic Service and the Canadian Hydrographic Service. Raster charts such as Raster Navigational Charts remain supported for legacy use, often provided by vendors including Jeppesen and Imray. Chart data adheres to standards from the International Hydrographic Organization and the International Electrotechnical Commission, and may be supplemented by bathymetric databases from organizations like GEBCO and satellite-derived bathymetry projects involving European Space Agency initiatives.
Carriage and operation of ECDIS are governed by International Maritime Organization conventions and amendments enforced by flag states including United Kingdom, United States of America, and Panama. Type approval and certification involve classification societies such as Bureau Veritas, American Bureau of Shipping, and Det Norske Veritas. Training and competency standards reference courses certified under frameworks like the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping convention, and port state control regimes inspect compliance with SOLAS requirements.
ECDIS is used for coastal navigation, ocean passage planning, pilotage in ports such as Port of Singapore, Port of Rotterdam, and Port of Shanghai, and tactical navigation aboard naval ships including those of the United States Navy and Royal Australian Navy. Commercial shipping operators including COSCO Shipping and Mediterranean Shipping Company employ ECDIS integrated with bridge resource management practices. Specialized applications include offshore operations for energy companies like Shell plc and BP and research cruises organized by institutions such as the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Limitations include reliance on the accuracy and currency of chart databases from hydrographic authorities such as Hydrographic Office (France) and on external sensors like Global Positioning System; failures can contribute to incidents similar in nature to events investigated by bodies like the Marine Accident Investigation Branch. Human factors, misconfiguration, and overreliance on electronic displays have prompted guidance from organizations including the International Maritime Organization and International Labour Organization on training and watchkeeping. Cybersecurity concerns referenced by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity and accident-prevention recommendations from International Chamber of Shipping stress redundancy, regular updates, and integration with radar and paper chart backups.
Category:Navigation equipment