Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess proof of concept and usability of a maritime service website prototype in a full-mission ship bridge simulator through Swedish mariners’ experiences and perceptions. This test was part of the European Commission’s EfficienSea2 project for e-navigation. The prototype was intended as an aid to existing standard systems and methodologies for planning, executing and monitoring voyages. The study began with 5 days of simulator trials focused on today’s standard practices. This served as a baseline to compare to subsequent 4 days of simulator trials testing the prototype. For data collection, observations, video footage, interviews, and eye tracking were used. Data analysis included breaking apart the qualitative data to capture the perceptions of the participants, and a preliminary analysis of eye-tracking data as a complement. The results suggested that the prototype could be more suitable for a route planning stage, that the participants were familiar with similar existing solutions from other manufacturers, and that the contents of the tool would be most beneficial if integrated within the Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS). There is a pressing need for the novel solutions to be user needs-driven, integrated with the existing technologies, and standardized across the domain, and these processes must go hand-in-hand with accounting for all involved stakeholders, procedures, regulations, and training, as this will alter the course of shipping.
Highlights
We find ourselves in a fast-changing era of global and exponential propagation of automation and information digitalization
The results suggested that the prototype could be more suitable for a route planning stage, that the participants were familiar with similar existing solutions from other manufacturers, and that the contents of the tool would be most beneficial if integrated within the Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS)
From a human-centered perspective promoted in the e-Navigation strategy, the whole human element spectrum needs to be considered. In this quasi-experimental study, a BalticWeb prototype and its four services were tested in a simulated route planning and navigation exercise with navigators. It is of relevance for future studies to investigate what should be standardized and how, as well as capture the empirical experiences and perceptions of—and the interaction dynamics between—bridge officers, pilots, Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) operators, and other relevant stakeholders
Summary
We find ourselves in a fast-changing era of global and exponential propagation of automation and information digitalization In this historic and Extended author information available on the last page of the article revolutionary context, the international shipping industry is no exception to the rule (Bhardwaj 2013), even if deployment and regulatory changes can be generally slow. For vessels passing through the Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) areas, appropriate voyage planning and navigation are progressively more involving information exchange between ships and shore operators such as the VTS, seeing that decision making about anti-collision and anti-grounding strategies is based on communication between ships and shore operators, and on local information integration for preparation and prediction (de Vries 2015). The stakeholders, who are mostly not co-located (Bruno and Lützhöft 2010), are increasingly linked and aided by information communication technology devices (Bhardwaj 2013) (e.g., Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS), Automatic Identification System (AIS), Very High Frequency (VHF) radio, Navigational Telex (Navtex))
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