FEASIBILITY TUDY ON INTELLIGENT MARINE TRAFFIC SYSTEM
Kazuhiko HASEGAWA, Yasuhiro SHIGEMORI and Yuuichiro ICHIYAMA
Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871 Japan
e-mail:hase@naoe.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp
Abstract: Feasibility study on ITS (Intelligent Traffic System) for Marine (M
discussed based on Marine Traffic Simulation System (SMARTS)
1. Introduction
For safety of navigation in congested waterways, radar
plays an important role. ARPA (Automated Radar
Plotting Aids) or ECDIS (Electric Chart Display and
Information System) are recently added as additional
operational aids. However, the number of ship casualties
doesn't change drastically for these ten years, or number
of big disasters such as oil spills rather
increased.
On the other hand, rapid progress in Internet, GPS and
satellite communication have brought us various changes
in technology. Combining these technologies, we came
up to an idea [1]. In this paper, the idea was realized and
evaluated through computer network simulation.
The idea was discussed several times at various
symposia/conferences or at a journal [2,3,4]. In this
paper authors would like to discuss about AIS(Universal
ship-borne Automatic Identification System), one of
c o m m u n i c arotocol
t i o n which
p could realize V-VTS
[1]. There are already a few standard protocol for ship
m anage m ent [5].
Now AIS is studied actively in some
advanced countries for its introduction forward safe
navigation fields. To verify its roles and usefulness,
simulation is conducted by using SAFES [ 6 ]and
SMARTS [ 7 .] The results of simulation would show
follows item. 1) Verification of AIS to be implemented 2)
1
Usefulness of SAFES and SMARTS a n d f i n a l l3)
y the
above 2 items will support the feasibility of V-VTS.
2. Universal AIS(Automatic Identification System)
Now IMO is trying to standardize criterion of Universal
AIS. As you know AIS is now studied and has been
studied in many advanced country as a tools to exchange
information i n b o t h s h i p - t o - s h i p a n d
in congested waterways. The intention of standardization
is to improve safety of VIS management and to support
effective navigation of ships. F o r e x a m p l avoiding
e, of
collision, tools of VTS, sending cargo information to
ships and to local center, automatic flow of ship's
information, etc. Fig. 1 shows the concept of Universal
AIS. The AIS of ship A sends the message in one time
slot. At the same it reserves another time slot for nex
position message. All other AIS-equipped ships repeat the
s a m e p r o c .e dHuerree o n e t i m e s l o t s h o u l d c o n t
available information required by IMO standard such as
ship name, speed, etc.
2.1 Standard information
Even though the concept and intentions of AIS is very
great, the process of standardization is required to utilize
i t m o r e e f f e c t i v e l y i n t h e w o rIMO
l d . require
So that
follows information should be included in AIS message.
1) Static information; IMO number, call sign, height and building up V-VTS. In this paper simulation is conducted
width, ship type, position of antenna. 2) Dynamic to check the feasibility of Intelligent Ma
information; ship's position, standard time, heading System using AIS.
angle, course on ground, speed, rate of turn, etc.
3) Navigation information; draft, type of cargo, departure 3. Simulation
and destination, waypoint etc. 4) Safety message.
All ship under AIS system should report above The marine traffic simulation system (SMARTS) [6] was
information to center at regular intervals. developed using ship auto-navigation fuzzy expert system
The reporting time depends on the situations of (SAFES) [7]. It can automatically create marine traffic
navigation. The details of information to be reported and according to the statistical data etc. The statistical data of
i n t e r v a l aas
r e follows. 1) Static information - every 6 Osaka port is utilized. The data refered to various survey
minutes or when requested. 2) Dynamic information – o n m a r i n e t r a f f i c o f l o n g t e
it depends onship’s speed and status
; berthing - 3mins, the Kobe Marine Accidents Inquiry Agencies
. To realize
below 14kts - 12secs, from 14 to 23kts of speed - 6secs, traffic s i t u a t i of
o nOsaka bay, followi n gprocedure is
above 23kts - 3secs, below 14kts(when altering course) - used. 1) Set destination and departure port of every ship.
4secs, f r o m14 t o 23kts(w h e naltering course) - 2secs, 2) Determine time interval of ship's emerging 3)
23kts(w h e altering
n course) - 2secs. 3 ) avigation
N Set route on sea including waypoint 4) Set parameter of
information - every 6 minutes or when requested. 4) ship. 5) Navigation automatically. In Osaka bay, there
Safety message - when requested. T h e s e s t a n d a r d i z e dare many small ports. Author limited these ports to 6
data make it possible to get other ship
’s information and categories for simplification. The ship's emerging time
to send it to shore side. interval r e f e r s two
t o report of "The report on ship's
navigation status in osaka bay" and "The report on
2.2 AIS and V-VTS navigation status”. Route and waypoint is obtained by
"Information on sea traffic by Japan hydrography" and
The V-VTS is regarded as a database accessible from the "Report by Japan captain association". Fig [2] shows
n e t w o r k . F i g . [ 5 ] s h o w c o n c e p t o f V- V T S . E a c hOsaka
s h i p bay used in simulation and Fig [3] shows one of
w i l l a c c e s s t h e V- V T S t h r o u g h a w e b b r o w s e r sactual
u c h adisplay
s of simulation.
Netscape or Internet Explorer. The own ship is displayed
i n t h e c e n t e r a n d o t h e r s h i p s a r e s h o w n w i t h t h e i r4.pResults
lan of simulation
p a t h s a n d p r e s e n t v e l o c i t y v e c t o r. I t w i l l b e h e l p f u l t o
s h i p m a s t e r t o p r o v i d e t h e s e d a t a w i t h o u t a n24y hours
m a n u of
a l time are simulated by marine traffic
operat ion or communicat ion. The above idea is almost
simulation system to check the number of AIS report in
same to that of AIS of which purpose is to provide ship
Osaka bay. Fig [4] shows total number of report and ship
and shore with useful ship information. AIS can be one under AIS. We can find that 1) the report number has not
o f c o m m u n i c a t i o n p r o t o c o l soi n many
V - V
relations
T S . with
E a c altering
h s h icourse.
p 2)
e q u i p p e d w i t h A I S s h o u l d r e p o r t t h e i r i n f o r mTotal
a t i oreport
n v i number
a is almost 5 times than the number of
V H F t o s h a　
r ew i t h e a c h o t h e r . W h e n o n e o r mship
a n yunderway. It has relations with the factthat report
virtual server is located in VIS to collect ship report and number at below 14kts is 5 per minute. 3)
to re-send them by request of ship, it will be one type of The most peak value of report is 1200 per minute.
V- V T S . I t i s c o n s i d e r e d t h a t A I S i s u It
s esatisfies
f u l t othe
o lIMO
s i ncriterion, 2000 report per minute, at

2
least on simulation with simulated circumstances. [ 3 ] K . H a s e g a:wIan t e r n e t R a d a r a n d I n t e l l i g e n t Ve s s e l
Traffi c Servi ce, oral presentation at t he Special Session
o f I n t e l l i g e n t M t ah Ir Fi nA eC SWy os rt le dm
5. Conclusions Congress, Beijing, China, 6-9, July, 1999.

Until now author has proposed new concept to realize [4] M. Endo and K. Hasegawa: Systemization of Ship
intelligent marine traffic system using virtual vessel Operation– For the Cooperation between Seamen, Ship
traffic service (V-VTS). This paper will be one story of a n dE n v i r o Fn im r es nt t a (n d S e c o n d R e
that flow. In this paper AIS is simulated to estimate total J a p a n e s e ) , S e a a n d S a f e t y, p p . 8 - 1 5 , N o . 4 8 3 , p p . 1 0
report number in Osaka bay and to confirm whetherNo.484,
its 1999.
number satisfy IMO standard. Originally AIS was started
w i t h b o t h s h i p - t o - s h i p a n d s h i p - t o - s h o r e m o d e . [B u t a s 5
mentioned in body, in virtual world ship-to-shore mode
http://www.itk.ntnu.no:80/SINTEF/MITS/.
can be replaced with ship-to-virtual server mode. It will
be one example of V-VTS. The main conclusions will be [6] K. Hasegawa : An intelligent marine traffic evaluation
drawn as follows. s y s t e m hf ao rr b oaunr d w a t e rd we as iy ,g nPsr o c . o f
4t h I n t e r n a t i o n a l Symposium on Marine
1) The numberof AISreport in Osaka bay is estimated Kobe ’90 (ISME KOBE’90), Vol.2, G-1-7
―14, Kobe,
by simulations. Japan, 1990.
2) The number of AIS report in Osaka bay satisfied the
IMO standard criterion. [7] K. Hasegawa: Knowledge-based automatic navigation
3) Total report number is almost 5 times than s y s t e m f ho ar r b o u r m a n o e u, vPr ri on cg . o f T e n t h S h i p
that of ship on sea. C o n t r o l S y s t e m s S y m p o s i u m , Vo . 2 ,
4) The concept of Internet radar and intelligent marine Canada, 1993.
traffic system using virtual vessel traffic service
(V-VTS) proposed by the author i s realized by u s i n g
AIS.

References
[1] K. Hasegawa: A proposal of global ship information
system
a n d i tasp p l i c a t i o n t o a u t o m a t i c s h i p c o l l i s i o n
a v o i d a n c e s y s t e m , P r o c . O f E l e v e n t h S h i p C o n t r o l
S y s t e m s S y m p o s i u m , Vo l 2 , p p . 1 9 7 - 2 1 0 , S o u t h a m p t o n ,
U.K., 1997

[ 2 ] K . H a s e g a w a a n d K . Ta n i g u c h i : I n t e r n e t R a d a r a n d
V i r t u a l V e s s e l T r a f f i c S e r v i c e
2 Conference for New Ship & Marine Technology into
nd

the 21st Century, pp.336-339, Hong Kong, China, 1998.

3
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Fig. 1 Concept of universal AIS

Fig.2 picture of Osaka bay used in simulation

Fig. 5 Concept of V-VTS

Fig. 3 Real snap display of simulation Fig.

4 The number of AIS Report and ships