Piotr Wołejsza

Marine Integrated Navigational Decision Support System

The article presents a concept of an integrated navigational decision support system for vessel traffic control. The system is based on a joint platform for decision support systems on land and ships. The platform construction is recommended to be based on the shipboard navigational decision support system. The necessary scope of work to build such system is defined. The proposed integrated decision support system NAVDEC fits such concepts as e-navigation, e-maritime and intelligent marine transport systems that reflect global trends in the development of navigational systems, widely using modern information communication technologies.

Decision Support in Collision Situations at Sea

The known navigational systems in use perform information functions and as such are helpful in the process of safe conduct of a vessel. One of the ways to assist in reducing the number of marine accidents is the development of systems which perform decision support functions, i.e. automatically generate solutions to collision situations. The use of information (and communication) technologies including knowledge engineering allows the generation of proposals for anti-collision manoeuvres taking into account the COLREGs. Demand for further enhancement of navigational safety by limiting human errors has initiated a trend to convert navigational information systems into decision support systems. The implementation of decision support systems will potentially reduce the number of human errors, which translates into a reduction of accidents at sea and their adverse consequences. This paper presents a summary of the research to date on the navigational decision support system NAVDEC. The system has been positively verified in laboratory conditions and in field tests – on a motor ferry and a sailing ship. Challenges associated with the development and implementation of such systems are outlined.

Fuzzy logic in the navigational decision support process onboard a sea-going vessel

Ship collisions make up one of the major hazards in marine navigations. The problem of collision prevention in ship encounter situations are characterized. Described with fuzzy logic tools, criteria for the choice of track are discussed. The presented algorithm of ship track optimization in collision situations is based on the method of multi-stage control in fuzzy environment. Finally, the algorithm integrated into the navigational decision support system is presented.

Navigators’ Behavior in Traffic Separation Schemes

One of the areas of decision support in the navigational ship conduct process is a Traffic Separation Scheme. TSSs are established in areas with high traffic density, often near the shore and in port approaches. The main purpose of these schemes is to improve maritime safety by channeling vessel traffic into streams. Traffic regulations as well as ships behavior in real conditions in chosen TSSs have been analyzed in order to develop decision support algorithms.

Maritime Safety – Stakeholders in Information Exchange Process

This paper presents the methodology and research results on identification of potential users of the ESABALT system, which is targeted towards improving the situational awareness in the Baltic Sea region. The authors describe the technique of analysing the stakeholders involved in maritime sector processes, especially in maritime transport processes, while also taking into account their different classification criteria. The resulting list of stakeholders is used to identify system users and their classification into user profiles groups. This study will form the basis for the identification of user requirements of the ESABALT system.

NAVIGATION DECISION SUPPORTING SYSTEM (NAVDEC) — TESTING ON FULL MISSION SIMULATOR

ABSTRACT The known navigational systems in use and methods of navigational decision support perform information functions and as such are helpful in the process of safe conduct of a vessel. However, none of these known systems provides a navigator with ready solutions of collision situations taking account of all the vessels in the proximity of own ship, where the Collision Regulations apply. Another shortcoming of these systems is that they do not explain the assessment of a navigational situation and proposed manoeuvre parameters. Results of testing in simulation condition of NAVDEC - new Navigational Decision Supporting System developed by research team of prof. Pietrzykowski [Pietrzykowski et al., 2012a], [Pietrzykowski et al., 2012b] - were presented in this paper. STRESZCZENIE Znane, będące obecnie w użyciu systemy nawigacyjne, jak również metody nawigacyjnego wspomagania decyzji pełnią funkcje informacji i jako takie są pomocne w procesie bezpiecznego prowadzenia statku. Żaden z tych znanych systemów nie dostarcza jednak nawigatorowi gotowych rozwiązań sytuacji kolizyjnej z uwzględnieniem wszystkich statków znajdujących się w pobliżu oraz odpowiednich przepisów międzynarodowych. Inna wadą istniejących systemów jest to, że nie podają one oceny sytuacji nawigacyjnej i proponowanych parametrów manewru. W artykule przedstawiono wyniki testowania w warunkach symulowanych systemu NAVDEC - nowego nawigacyjnego systemu wspomagania decyzji tworzonego przez zespół badawczy prof. Pietrzykowskiego.

Determination of the Last Moment Manoeuvre for Collision Avoidance Using Standards for Ships Manoeuvrability

Abstract The paper presents a concept of the new algorithm solving Last Moment Manoeuvre problem. Last Moment Manoeuvre means that action taken only by one vessel is not enough to avoid collision. This is why both vessels have to synchronize their manoeuvres to pass each other. The main focus of the proposed solution is concentrated on the procedure defining the best possible manoeuvre for each vessel when avoiding a collision is no longer possible. For simplification, the assumption that the parameters of the vessels involved in the Last Moment Manoeuvre meet Standards for Ships Manoeuvrability set out in the IMO resolution, will be adopted. The algorithm presented in the paper will be implemented and tested in the commercial system.

Operational Scenarios for Maritime Safety in the Baltic Sea: Operational Scenarios for Maritime Safety

The project Enhanced Situational Awareness to Improve Maritime Safety in the Baltic (BONUS ESABALT) is a research and development project funded by the BONUS program for studying the feasibility of a novel system for enhancing maritime safety, focusing on the Baltic Sea as a test-bed for the system and service concept. In this paper, we describe the system architecture for the proposed ESABALT concept. Next, we describe few maritime scenarios in which the proposed system can be beneficial. These scenarios can be grouped under three specialized services of intelligent marine navigation and routing information, efficient emergency response, and environmental monitoring and reporting with emphasis on cross-border cross-sector functionality. The paper also summarizes the test and maritime data collection campaign performed onboard the Viking Line’s cruise ship ‘Amorella’, operating on the Turku – Stockholm – Turku route. The aim of this exercise was to collect data generated by the ship’s own electronic systems, and also to determine the availability and performance of navigation and communication signals along the maritime route. Analysis of this data is expected to enable distillation of the most critical information for crowdsourcing in the maritime scenario. Finally, we discuss the expected societal and economic impact of the proposed system in the Baltic Sea Region maritime domain.

Navigation Decision Supporting System (NAVDEC) testing in real condition

Abstract The known navigational systems in use and methods of navigational decision support perform information functions and as such are helpful in the process of safe conduct of a vessel. However, none of these known systems provides a navigator with ready solutions of collision situations taking account of all the vessels in the proximity of own ship, where the Collision Regulations apply. This paper presents testing results of NAVDEC — new Navigational Decision Supporting System created by research team from Szczecin Maritime University both for ocean going ships and pleasure crafts Tests were carried out in real condition on board container vessel. Testing results were presented on example encounter situation between Hammonia Berolina (own ship) and FR8 Fortitude (target ship). Encounter parameters were compared with data received from Full mission simulator.

Implementation of Anti-Collision System on M/F ‘Wawel’

Abstract The known navigational systems in use and methods of navigational decision support perform information functions and as such are helpful in the process of safe conduct of a vessel. However, none of these known systems provides a navigator with ready solutions of collision situations taking account of all the vessels in the proximity of own ship, where the Collision Regulations apply. This paper presents verification results of NAVDEC — new Navigational Decision Supporting System created by research team from Szczecin Maritime University both for ocean going ships and pleasure crafts. Verification was carried out in real condition on board Motor Ferry ‘Wawel’ (m/f ‘Wawel’), which belongs to shipowner Polferries (PŻB). During the journey to/from Nynashamn system was tested from customer perspective. Few suggestions for improvements were issued, which were discussed in this article.