Examining a marine service website mock-up within a ship bridge simulator: sailors' opinions and understanding of innovative electronic navigation systems
The maritime industry is embarking on a significant transformation towards user-centric, integrated, and standardized digital services, with the European Commission's EfficienSea2 project for e-navigation leading the charge. This transformation is centred around the adoption of the new International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) S-100 data standard and related product specifications.
Currently, the Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs) on Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) have been using the S-57 data standard since 1992. However, this standard is limited in its flexibility and the data types it supports. The S-100 framework, on the other hand, is designed as a universal, interoperable data standard that can support a wider variety of maritime data types, including bathymetry, tidal information, weather, ice conditions, and marine infrastructure.
This shift towards S-100 will enable the combining of multiple data layers within a single ECDIS interface, presenting a comprehensive digital view tailored to user needs, such as mariners, port operators, and coastal authorities. This integration allows for enhanced decision-making by integrating dynamic information like tides, currents, weather overlays, and navigational warnings alongside traditional ENC data.
To achieve standardization and integration, the IHO and organizations such as the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) have developed specific product specifications aligned with S-100. These include S-101 (updated ENC), S-102 (bathymetric surface), S-104 (water level), S-111 (surface currents), among others.
Recent advances introduce a "concept-register" approach, standardizing definitions and relationships across product specifications to streamline integration and interoperability. This structure supports seamless data exchange across maritime domains and improves integration on ECDIS and potentially other maritime digital services.
A recent study conducted as part of the EfficienSea2 project assessed the proof of concept and usability of a maritime service website prototype in a ship bridge simulator. The participants in the study were already familiar with similar solutions from other manufacturers. The study's focus was on the suitability of the prototype during the route planning stage. The results suggested that the prototype could potentially improve this stage of voyages, and its contents would be most beneficial if integrated within the ECDIS.
IALA supports testbeds and pilot projects to validate these new data standards and promote their real-world adoption, ensuring practical user needs are met and interoperability functions correctly across platforms. Full operational and legal recognition of S-100-enabled ECDIS will begin in 2026, indicating imminent widespread adoption by shipping and maritime stakeholders.
In the future, this transformation is expected to expand beyond navigation towards broader maritime sector integration, enabling integrated maritime service websites and digital platforms combining diverse datasets in standardized ways, enhancing safety, efficiency, and environmental monitoring. Enhanced maritime cybersecurity will also be supported through modern data validation and integrity checks inherent in S-100, addressing vulnerabilities in the older S-57 standard.
In summary, the maritime industry is actively moving towards user-centered, fully integrated, and standardized maritime digital services leveraged through the S-100 framework and its suite of product specifications, facilitating comprehensive, interoperable, and dynamic maritime information delivery via ECDIS and related platforms. This effort not only addresses current navigational needs but also sets the groundwork for future maritime digitalization and service integration.
[1] IHO (2021). S-100 Standard for Hydrography and Navigation. Retrieved from https://www.iho.int/standards-and-publications/standards/s-100-standard [2] IALA (2021). S-100 Implementation and Testbeds. Retrieved from https://www.iala-aism.org/topics/technical/s-100-implementation-and-testbeds [3] European Commission (2021). EfficienSea2 project. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/maritime/navigation/e-navigation/projects/efficiensea2_en [4] IHO (2021). S-57 Standard for Digital Hydrography and Navigation. Retrieved from https://www.iho.int/standards-and-publications/standards/s-57-standard
Eye tracking and facial coding technologies can be integrated into media analytics of maritime digital services, providing insights on user interface effectiveness and enhanced decision-making during navigation. This could be beneficial for the evaluation of user engagement and tailoring user-centric maritime service websites and digital platforms.
Furthermore, as the maritime industry evolves, technology such as media analytics could be adopted to monitor user interaction with integrated maritime digital services, potentially contributing to safety, efficiency, and environmental monitoring efforts. This could also help in identifying potential vulnerabilities and improving maritime cybersecurity measures.
