Efforts Project - Port ECDIS

Official ENCs as created by the Hydrographic Offices are designed to meet the requirements of marine navigation in general. However, with respect to content, actuality, detail, compilation scale, and accuracy they often do not meet the requirements when it comes to navigating in narrow channels, shallow waters, tidal waters, docking operations, berthing, and turning maneuvers with minimum under keel clearance.

Background

The EU funded project „Efforts“ (Effective Operations in Ports) was launched to study what the requirements are to optimize operations in European ports. The project aimed at improving competitiveness of European ports worldwide.

The project started 01.05.2006 and finished after 42 month in October 2009. Project activities were divided into 3 work packages:

Sub Project 1: Navigation in Ports
Sub Project 2: Ports and Environment
Sub Project 3: Port Organisation

For more information about the Efforts Project please visit the project web site:
www.efforts-project.org

Introducing Port ECDIS

Port ECDIS is the name of the WP 1.3 of the EFFORTS Sub-Project 1 "Navigation in Ports".
Workpackage Leader was Hamburg Port Authority (HPA).

Port-ECDIS is not only about producing better electronic charts to be shown in the navigation displays of various applications. Port-ECDIS addresses user groups of other domains as well (maintenance, dredging, planning, river engineering). Often they have the need to look at the data not only as a chart but also in 3D. This means that additional data representations are required.

The source data that is used can also be used for the generation of Digital Terrain Models (DTM) representing the bathymetry and Triangulated Irregular Networks (TIN) e.g. describing the channel model. The channel model represents the theoretical, designed and maintained surface of the harbours under water bottom. Such additional data representations are not defined in the existing ECDIS and Inland ECDIS standards.

The new Hydrographic Geospatial Standard for Marine Data and Information S-100 integrates a gridded bathymetry component. However, the implementation timetable of S-100 points to the year 2009/2010. An improved ENC Product Specification (S-101) will not come into force until at least 2012!

SevenCs Role in the project

SevenCs considerably contributed to the activities of EFFORTS WP 1.3 "Port ECDIS". Together with the other project partners proposals for a Port ECDIS standardization and encoding rules were developed.

HPA produced a complete Port ECDIS dataset covering the port of Hamburg. SevenCs developed a visualization tool that allows for display of all of the three Port ECDIS data components (S-57 chart, gridded bathymetry, channel reference model) in 2D and 3D.

Though the EFFORTS PORT ECDIS VIEWER is meant to be a prototype used to prove the concept it integrates sophisticated functions to test Port ECDIS data under real conditions. Since it integrates an NMEA interface positioning data can be used for a dynamic own ship display. Moreover it provides tools for viewing bathymetric data in 3D.

The PORT ECDIS VIEWER was successfully installed on HPA survey vessels and used for the demonstration of the Work Package results in autumn 2009.

To receive a copy of the EFFORTS Port ECDIS Viewer please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .