How Digitalization Can Improve Situational Awareness?

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Developments in marine electronics improve situational awareness and offer more features for workboat and tug navigation, reports Riviera.

About the new chart plotters

Garmin has introduced a range of chart plotters for navigation and sonar information display. Its Echomap UHD2 series comes with a 5-inch or 7-inch display for high-contrast scanning sonar and navigational charts.

This plotter has functions for marking key waypoints or quickly toggling between different chart views. It has wifi for seamless sharing of sonar and user data between two Echomap UHD2 displays.

Garmin says these displays come with a GT20-TM transducer or a GT24UHD-TM transducer with ultra-high-definition scanning sonar ClearVü. Echomap UHD2 come preloaded with Garmin Navionics+ cartography and can track up to 5,000 waypoints. Charts are updated daily, and operators can access the ActiveCaptain community for local knowledge and information.

Additional features

Furuno Electric has added Navionics cartography to its GP1871F and GP1971F combination chart plotters with version 4.0 software which are available through the Navionics chart installer app.

Additional features on Furuno chart displays include satellite photography overlay, refined depth contouring and relief shading, bathymetric layering, and enhanced viewing angles such as 3D and panoramic modes to be used with Navionics cartography.

Furuno’s GP1871F and GP1971F chart plotters use full-featured C-MAP 4D charts providing users with a choice of cartography.

Control actions

Control options are via the display itself, by a digital control for multi-display operation or with a Seatronx command control, a 7-inch touchscreen digital switching device.

Approval

Seatronx has received type-approval from classification society ABS for new line of sunlight readable touchscreen (SRT) for bright outdoor bridge applications and pilot house touchscreen (PHT) displays for interior installations. These displays have the same size range and features but use different bonded displays with different levels of backlighting.

Seatronx says these displays are approved for blackbox marine navigation and radar displays. They can incorporate camera monitoring, security systems and vessel monitoring systems.

SRT and PHT have displays ranging from 10-27 inches for viewing in bright daylight conditions or night navigation. With various mounting options, they are compatible with both DC and AC power systems.

Quality management systems

Ocean Signal has achieved the international standard ISO 9001:2015 for quality management systems. Its emergency rescue beacon and marine safety devices operate in compliance with the internationally recognised accreditation. They fulfil the criteria for providing product design, manufacture, sales, distribution and after care services for life saving, communication and navigation devices.

Cutting edge camera systems

Wärtsilä Voyage has launched its smart panoramic edge camera system (SPECS) for improving situational awareness at sea. It enables 360º of visualisation in the wheelhouse with real-time images from around a vessel.

SPECS can show a birds-eye view of the vessel and its surroundings, which is a significant advantage when docking. Cameras provide a calibrated range grid around the vessel to give precise measurement of distances. SPECS offers an augmented reality view by connecting to the navigation system to assist in identifying targets and potential hazards.

SPECS reduces risks in busy harbours and in confined waters. It helps ship masters and pilots monitor tug operations and identify hazards and potential inaccuracies of manual docking.

Camera pods are designed for harsh marine conditions. Multiple display and workstation options come with a dedicated software package.

Shakespeare Marine has introduced a new Dorsal antenna for VHF communications on workboats and coastal vessels. Its 5912-Dorsal has a communications range of 16 km at 25 W and down to 6 km at 1W.

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Source: Riviera