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78Maritime Reporter & Engineering News Marine operators and entities have long struggled with the most efficient, effective means to monitor and manage traffic in increasingly busy ports around the world. The marine industry, unlike the airline industry, is unique in that mixed with high levels of commercial traffic is a broad and ever changing mix of personal watercraft of varying sizes, with equal variables in terms of operator experience. Thus the ability to rapidly collect, compute, disseminate and act oninformation is central to safe port oper- ations. A U.K. company, GeoVS, be- lieves that it has the answer in the form of its new 3D Vessel Tracking System. ?For the past 12 years colleagues and I have been grappling with the complex realities of enhancing situational aware- ness for maritime safety,? said Dr. Rafal Goralski, Director of Technology at GeoVS. ?Only now do technological advances allow the integration of data from many sensors around a port to pro- duce a real time, three dimensional traf-fic management and visualization tool. This research has resulted in the devel- opment of the world?s first commercial three dimensional real time vessel track- ing system.? The SystemManaging large ship?s progress, usu- ally in and out of ports and in other re-stricted channels, has understandablyassumed a critical role in ensuring theirsafety. But the Cardiff based company GeoVS has produced what it is callingthe world?s first commercial marine three-dimensional vessel tracking sys- tem. This brings a step change in moni- toring and management of vessels in ports, estuaries and restricted water- ways. It provides a more comprehensive pic- ture of vessel movements than existing systems, it is easier to use, enhances ef-ficiency and improves safety. ?Research in Sweden has shown that the use of three dimensional charts leads to a sig-nificant reduction in human error and a similar increase in the operator?s effi- ciency,? said Dr. Goralski. ?The system, which we call , C-Vu 3D VTS works ei- ther on its own or as a bolt on to exist- ing two dimensional systems, and can be used by port operators, ships? pilots and other navigators.? Vessel Traffic Systems (VTS) are the technology that enable efficient track- ing, monitoring, management, record-ing and analysis of vessel movements in a particular area, such as a port or con-fined waterway. Vessel Traffic Systems comprise a set of sensors (most commonly radar, radio based automatic identification systems (AIS) and CCTV, often also tide gauges and meteorological stations), signal pro-cessing and storage servers and any number of co-located or distributed VTS operator stations. It presents real-time navigational data overlaid on an electronic chart system (ECS) display. These systems are used in ports andconfined waterways to monitor and con- trol vessels for navigational safety and operational efficiency, and ensure ves- sels follow designated routes. Users are typically port authorities and Coast-guards. Current Practice Currently vessel tracking systems largely rely on radar signals and present a 2D picture of vessels moving within the designated area on an electronicchart, displayed on computer screens.They allow port operators or Coast- guards to see the vessels and monitor and to control their progress. But they do not identify individual vessels, and the performance of radar systems can beadversely affected by weather. And when vessels are close together, radar blips can merge. They only show the surface picture, not hazards that lie beneath the water, and thus rely upon the operator?s local knowledge. Neither do they give tidal information, again relying on the oper- ator?s knowledge and experience, which varies from operator to operator. Despite these limitations, they are still a technological leap forward from the Mark 1 eyeball, and early radar systems which used small and difficult to inter- pret circular radar screens. GeoVS?s new system, C-Vu 3D VTS, is a leap forward, according to the com- pany. The picture it presents to opera- tors is more encompassing, clearer andstraightforward to understand. It presents a 3D image and also gives realistic representations of all the ves- sels, the waterway, port installations and navigational marks such as buoys. At the click of a mouse it shows the under- water picture and hazards vessels may encounter. This includes critical real time tidal data, so the operator knows exactly the depth of water beneath the keel of each vessel. GeoVS?s system draws on information from existing radar systems, and supplements thiswith inputs from tidal gauges, meteoro- logical stations, and radio based auto-matic identification systems, which are now mandatory for all commercial ves- sels. Thus it is designed to present a comprehensive real time picture of what is happening in the waterway, identify- ing individual vessels, in a way that is straightforward to understand. It im- proves situational awareness, reduces fatigue, particularly eye strain so en- hancing operators efficiency. The sys- tem automatically records the pictureand can store it for up to 10 years. Tech Developments GeoVS?s C-Vu 3D VTS has been made possible by a number of techno-logical advances and a decade?s worth of research and development by Dr. Goralski and colleagues.The advent of high speed data pro- cessing, electronic charts, large LCD screens, improvements to radar, and the introduction of AIS, were essential for enhancements GeoVS?s system brings. ?The last two decades have seen un- precedented technological progress inelectronics, computers and software,? said Dr Goralski. ?With that progress a trend has started to emerge, it is not peo- ple who should have to learn how to op- erate complex technology, and keep bending themselves to its peculiarities and limitations ? it is the computer sys-tems which should be optimized to bet-ter cater for our needs, enhance ournatural capabilities and compensate forour limitations. This will dramatically enhance efficiency and improve the users? operational comfort.? In the marine world, as a result of that thinking, the idea for the 3D chartemerged. It was sensible to remove the extra workload and concentration re- quired to interpret two dimensional charts and instead use the natural threedimensional cognitive capabilities of the human brain.? GeoVS?s states that C-Vu 3D VTS of- fers a range of benefits, including: Reduces operators? fatigue. Built from official electronic charts. Hydrographic survey data, and real- time inputs from tide gauges and mete- orological instruments.A 10-year recording capability for AIS and radar tracks. Fully compatible with any existing vessel tracking system.. Can operate on its own as a fully ca- pable primary vessel tracking display. www.geovs.com MARKETMARITIME COMMUNICATIONS C-Vu 3 DVTS Dr. Rafal Goralski, GeoVS3D Vessel Tracking: A new course in port traffic control MR#8 (74-81):MR Template 8/13/2012 9:13 AM Page 78