Navigation Tools News

DNV has granted a design verification report (DVR) for the AI-based autonomous navigation system "HiNAS Control". This system was a joint project between Avikus, a navigation specialist, and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. Following the evaluation, the Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry (LISCR) has also given an Approval in Principle (AiP) for this system. The "HiNAS Control" system employs artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) to integrate data from different navigation tools.

Navigation services provider Novaco Limited is set to release a major update to its integrated navigation management solution, NovacoBridge. The update will be launched this month at Expomaritt Exposhipping Istanbul 2021.Used by mariners and businesses across the commercial and leisure markets, NovacoBridge provides a comprehensive all-in-one suite of navigation tools as well as individual modules for vessels and shore-based offices.Costas Zervas, Director EMEA at Novaco said…

FarSounder and Navtor announces a new partnership, with FarSounder now including support for NAVTOR official ENC chart data in itsbase software package.Navtor is centered on creating e-Navigation tools that are safe, simple and efficient. Similarly, FarSounder’s Argos 3D Forward Looking Sonar is designed to provide safe navigation by detecting many ocean obstacles via an easy-to-understand user interface. According to the pair, this partnership will bring an impactful software update for Argos technology."By implementing the NavtorECDIS Kernel in the FarSounder platform…

The USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62), which suffered heavy damage and nearly sank off the coast of Japan after a fatal collision with a containership in 2017, departed Huntington Ingalls Industries' Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. Saturday following two years of extensive repairs and upgrades. Seven U.S. Navy sailors died when the guided-missile destroyer collided with the Philippine-flagged ACX Crystal on June 17, 2017. USS Fitzgerald was damaged on her starboard side above and below the waterline during the collision…

A new passenger ferry built by Dongara Marine has been introduced to the public transport system in Perth, Western Australia. MV Tricia  - named after Perth Zoo's popular 62-year-old Asian Elephant - is the third ferry in the Transperth fleet, joining two other low-wash catamarans introduced in 1997 and 2009. Operating across the Swan River between Elizabeth Quay and South Perth, the 23.7-m aluminium catamaran can carry up to 148 passengers and has a loaded top speed in excess of 16 knots.With two ferries each providing departures every 15 minutes in peak periods…

The evolution of marine design is increasingly influenced by three drivers: New three-dimensional design tools, the increasing complexity of power systems, and new access to high-latitude shipping routes. While new digital design tools are a natural progression of the current Information Age, new propulsion energy requirements and Polar shipping routes are reactions to the legacy of the ebbing Industrial Age. Three-Dimensional Design WorkflowsA young naval architect recently stated…

The United States Coast Guard Marine Safety Alert 06-19 (USCG MSA 06-19) outlines a February 2019 incident aboard a deep draft commercial vessel that called on the Port of New York / New Jersey after experiencing a significant cyber incident that impacted their shipboard network. The Safety Alert stated in part:“An interagency team of cyber experts, led by the Coast Guard, responded and conducted an analysis of the vessel’s network and essential control systems. The team concluded that although the malware significantly degraded the functionality of the onboard computer system…

The Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty AGCS) Safety & Shipping Review 2019 provides a unique and in-depth look at the emerging risks facing international shipping stakeholders.Large shipping losses are now at their lowest level this century having declined by over 50% year-on-year, according to Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE’s (AGCS) Safety & Shipping Review 2019. The annual study analyzes reported shipping losses over 100 gross tons (GT). AGCS provides global marine and shipping insurance for all types of marine risk, from single vessels and shipments to the most complex fleets and multinational logistics businesses. All told, the Marine Line of Business contributed 11% to AGCS overall premium volume of EUR 8.2bn in 2018.

Moose Boats rises to the challenge of building its biggest vessel ever. That’s an important step forward for this growing California shipyard. Equally impressive is what’s inside that rapidly developing hull and why those features were chosen.The U.S. boatbuilding scene is a changing landscape of waterfront manufacturing that constantly evolves to meet the inevitable peaks and valleys of demand. Nowhere is that reality more apparent than at California-based Moose Boats. In October 2016, Lind Marine announced the acquisition of Moose Boats. That move was important because Lind Marine operated a 5-acre shipyard including a 430 foot dry-dock and 1,600 feet of linear pier on Mare Island in Vallejo, CA.

A contract signed in London at the end of last month by Inmarsat and SRH Marine SAIT formalizes arrangements for real-time Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) updating to be accomplished ‘ship-to-shore’ using an application over FleetBroadband for the first time.The SRH Delta platform, which includes chart updates, publications and notices of mariners, will be available for L-band transmission to any FleetBroadband user equipped with the new, dedicated bandwidth…

Orca AI launched to prevent maritime collisions by providing AI-backed navigational solutions for the shipping industry, backed by a $2.6 million seed round led by MizMaa Ventures and including funding from Ray Carriers and The Dock.Collisions and other maritime incidents have been on the rise for the past several years, jumping from 2,000 in 2011 to an estimated 4,000 in 2017. The vast majority of maritime collisions occur in congested waterways, often in areas near ports or in narrow waterways. Current navigation tools are less effective in these situations and rely on the crew’s judgment to navigate safely, providing room for human error which is the cause of more than 75% of collisions.Orca AI’s system is designed for crowded waterways and the harshest, lowest visibility, scenarios.

A series of mishaps at sea has prompted the U.S. Navy to examine the way it conducts business. The accidents shared some similar contributing causes such as fundamental watchstanding and seamanship, and each of these incidents were preventable. The four incidents involved surface combatants in the Seventh Fleet area of responsibility. • On January 31, 2017, the Yokosuka-based Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Antietam, while anchored in high winds, dragged anchor and ran aground in Tokyo Bay. 1,100 gallons of hydraulic fluid spilled into Tokyo Bay.

Transas has launched its first package of applications built on THESIS, a unified cloud-based platform for managing operations across the full breadth of the maritime ecosystem. The advanced ‘A-Suite’ package also sets a new precedent by utilizing the latest in machine learning techniques to reduce the potential for human errors on the bridge or poor decisions elsewhere in the vessel operational chain. In addition to the officers and crew working on board ships, the benefits of…

The U.S. Coast Guard will close nine Nationwide Differential Global Positioning System (NDGPS) sites on Friday. In 2015, the Coast Guard, Department of Transportation (DOT) and Army Corps of Engineers proposed decommissioning 62 of the then-existing 84 NDGPS sites. After reviewing the Federal Register comments, the number of site closures was reduced to 37 sites, including 28 DOT inland sites and nine Coast Guard maritime sites: Cold Bay, Alaska; Lompoc, Calif.; Sturgeon Bay, Wisc.; Pickford, Mich.; Saginaw Bay, Mich.; Brunswick, Maine; Key West, Fla.; Elgin, Fla.; and Isabela, Puerto Rico. “With the numerous navigation tools available, we determined that this reduction in NDGPS sites does not pose a risk to the mariner,” said Cmdr.

Marine electronics group Navico, a literal ‘house of brands’ for the recreational, sail, power and commercial marine markets, is making a strong push in the commercial sector with its Simrad brand. The ascension of Navico in recreational marine electronics business – an estimated $1 billion market globally – was fast and furious, growing from roughly 7% of the global market in 2005 to nearly 30% in 2007, standing steady at about 35% today, fueled by a strategy built on the acquisition of strong brands mixed with organic growth.

Kongsberg Maritime’s ECDIS training portfolio has expanded with the introduction of an online E-Learning course for familiarisation training on its K-Bridge and K-Nav ECDIS products. Developed in compliance with STCW and ISM, the new course offers more choice for users of KONGSBERG ECDIS by providing training that can be conducted remotely and in the customer’s or individual student’s own timeframe. Created in collaboration with the Maritime University of Szczecin, the new E-Learning…

A quadcopter drone has helped navigate the Aurora Australis through the sea ice on its annual resupply voyage to Casey station. Flown off the aft deck of the ship, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) provided the crew with real-time imagery of the sea ice conditions ahead of the ship, optimising navigation decisions. Australian Antarctic Division Future Concepts Manager, Matt Filipowski, said the drone was a valuable addition to the current suite of sea ice navigation tools, which include satellite imagery and radar. “This is the first time the Australian Antarctic Division has used drone technology to assist ship operations,” Filipowski said. The proof-of-concept flights were undertaken by Civil Aviation and Safety Authority (CASA) certified company, Australian UAV.

The right product for the right application is a familiar claim from marine equipment supplier Simrad, but, when compliance with International Maritime Organization (IMO) requirements is at stake, it is a call demanding an immediate response. Compliance with the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention on Electronic Chart Data and Information Systems (ECDIS) is now a matter of urgency. The mandatory phase-in for all internationally trading vessels to be fitted with an ECDIS using Electronic Navigation Charts (ENCs) reached a watershed on July 1, 2015.

Rose Point Navigation Systems announces the launch of its new Commercial Radar Interface, delivering a solution for interfacing marine radars with Rose Point ECS. The design of the Commercial Radar Interface uses an all-digital interface for data transfer that ensures a high level of image fidelity with the radar's display. The Commercial Radar Interface was designed to combine the benefits of radar images with the navigation tools built into Rose Point ECS. It provides an overlay of the radar image on any chart…

Marine electronics group Navico is aiming for a top three position in the commercial maritime sector within 3-5 years. Maritime Reporter & Engineering News seeks to find out from Jose Herrero, MD,  the plans to accomplish the feat. Navico is a strong player in the recreational boating sector, claiming a 32% market share and well versed in investing in growth both organically and through acquisition, including a commitment to product development. Its ambitions in a crowded commercial sector will have to be backed by a continuation of this successful formula.

Inadequate protection against cyber risks is becoming a major threat to the maritime sector, increasingly interconnected and dependent from automation. Ports and ships have become target of hackers. Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) says that cyber risks a growing concern in shipping sector, particularly around e-navigation. The IT risk is now beginning in this area, but soon ports and ships could become attractive targets for hackers, says Captain Rahul Khanna, Global Head of Alliance Marine Risk Consulting (AGCS). Companies must simulate these potential scenarios and identify the correct strategies of risk mitigation, says Khanna. Dr. Other scenarios can see cybercriminals affecting important ports, close the terminal or interfere with container or confidential data.

Transas was founded in 1990, by a group of former navigators and engineers, who at that time envisioned ways in which computers could revolutionize maritime safety, communications and security. In the ensuing 25 years Transas has pioneered navigational technology across a wide sector, developing into a true “household name” in the global maritime industry. In 1995, Transas also entered the highly competitive simulation market, and today there are more than 13,000 vessels sailing with Transas navigation systems, and more than 5,500 simulators installed, globally.

At SMM in Hamburg, Germany this week, Global Navigation Solutions (GNS), the maritime services group announces the launch of (i) its new free Essentials package, as well as (ii) an upgrade to the Voyager Planning Station dashboard, and (iii) a new bundle purchasing option. With effect from 1 October 2014, GNS customers will be able to use its new Voyager Essentials Package free of charge. This will enable vessels to benefit from GNS’s navigational purchasing and information management tools irrespective of whether they are using chart updating and other added value services on board. Vessel’s using the Voyager Essentials package can…