Vessel Traffic Service Center Research Articles

Investigating the Reliability of the Location Transmitted by V-Pass Terminals: Prompt Rescue of Fishing Vessels

Fishing boats are equipped to quickly rescue ships and save lives in the event of an incident at sea; therefore, determination of the incident location is imperative for a swift response. According to the 2021 marine accidents by ship use statistics, fishing and non-fishing boats accounted for 64.6 and 35.4%, respectively, of the total 3053 ships involved in an accident. In addition to V-pass and the Automatic Identification System (AIS), several other types of terminals exist; however, approximately 91% of all registered fishing boats use V-pass terminals. Therefore, it is essential to know the exact location of fishing boats. However, little research has been conducted on V-pass equipment. Therefore, in this study, marine experiments were conducted using V-pass and AIS terminals that are mainly used in fishing boats. To determine the exact location of an incident and rapidly respond and rescue, this study compared the data saved in the terminals with the data received by the Vessel Traffic Service center. In the event of a maritime incident, the radio shadow areas and causes of the error in the location transmitter must be investigated to quickly rescue the fishing boat and to determine the root cause of the incident, respectively.

Next-Generation Smart Response Web (NG-SRW): An Operational Spatial Decision Support System for Maritime Oil Spill Emergency Response in the Gulf of Finland (Baltic Sea)

The Baltic Sea is a unique and sensitive brackish-water ecosystem vulnerable to damage from shipping activities. Despite high levels of maritime safety in the area, there is a continued risk of oil spills and associated harmful environmental impacts. Achieving common situational awareness between oil spill response decision makers and other actors, such as merchant vessel and Vessel Traffic Service center operators, is an important step to minimizing detrimental effects. This paper presents the Next-Generation Smart Response Web (NG-SRW), a web-based application to aid decision making concerning oil spill response. This tool aims to provide, dynamically and interactively, relevant information on oil spills. By integrating the analysis and visualization of dynamic spill features with the sensitivity of environmental elements and value of human uses, the benefits of potential response actions can be compared, helping to develop an appropriate response strategy. The oil spill process simulation enables the response authorities to judge better the complexity and dynamic behavior of the systems and processes behind the potential environmental impact assessment and thereby better control the oil combat action.

Vessel Trajectory Analysis in Designated Harbor Route Considering the Influence of External Forces

A vessel must navigate along designated routes within a harbor area to ensure navigation safety. The impact of strong currents is one of the most dangerous factors in coastal navigation. However, it is challenging to determine the deviation of a ship in advance from the ship’s position data in the case of a marine accident. In this study, to support the decision-making of ship navigators and vessel traffic service (VTS) operators in track monitoring tasks, tracks were classified according to the tidal stream, and the track distribution was analyzed according to the tidal current situations. Marine accident analysis was performed to investigate the tidal influence on ship tracks. Track data were collected for 12 months from a VTS center in Korea, and tidal information was collected through a meteorological observation buoy. Representative tracks were extracted from the track data using the support vector regression (SVR) seaway model. K-fold cross-validation and a grid search were performed to determine the optimal parameters. The ship tracks appeared in specific patterns according to the forces and directions of tidal currents, and specific deviation patterns were observed. This study is expected to contribute to the reduction of marine accidents by predicting ship trajectories according to the tidal situations in advance.

An evaluation of low-level automation navigation functions upon vessel traffic services work practices

The Sea Traffic Management (STM) Validation Project is a European-based initiative with ambitions to improve maritime safety and efficiency through information sharing in real time. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the “STM services,” which can be categorized as low-level automated functions designed to improve information exchange between ship and shore. Full-scale simulated scenarios were developed and tested on 16 professional vessel traffic service (VTS) operators comparing VTS operations as they are today with the added STM functionality. Data collection involved observations which assessed the frequency and type of interactions between ships and VTS, followed by questionnaires to provide an overall assessment of the user experience. The results indicate that the frequency and method of communication patterns between VTS operators and ships will be affected by the integration of the STM services. Additional access to navigational information could change the role of VTS operators in traffic situations compared with traditional operations. This paper discusses the findings from a socio-technical systems perspective while also addressing the individual STM services and their potential impact on VTS operations. This research provides valuable information for European VTS centers that could be affected by the implementation of e-Navigation and, specifically, the STM services.

Minimizing the Environmental Risk from Oil Tanker Grounding Accidents in the High North

To address the high environmental risk related to the increased oil tanker traffic in the High North, the Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA) manages one of its vessel traffic service (VTS) centers in the town of Vardo, Norway. The fleet of tugboats, controlled by the VTS center operators, patrols the coastline to hook-up with any potential drifting oil tanker in the region of interest, before it runs ashore. Presently, the tugboats are controlled manually, which is not only challenging but less effective. In this paper, we develop two alternative binary integer programming models that give better tugboat policies in less computational time compared to previous work. Promising results with historical data illustrate great potential for optimal environmental risk reduction along the northern coast of Norway

Proactive mental fatigue detection of traffic control operators using bagged trees and gaze-bin analysis

Most of existing eye movement-based fatigue detectors utilize statistical analysis of fixations, saccades, and blinks as inputs. Nevertheless, these parameters require long recording time and heavily depend on eye trackers. In an effort to facilitate proactive detection of mental fatigue, we introduced a complemental fatigue indicator, named gaze-bin analysis, which simply presents the eye-tracking data with histograms. A method which engaged the gaze-bin analysis as inputs of semisupervised bagged trees was developed. A case study in a vessel traffic service center demonstrated that this approach can alleviate the burden of manual labeling as well as improve the performance of fatigue detection model. In addition, the results show that the approach can achieve an excellent accuracy of 89%, which outperformed other methods. In general, this study provided a complemental indicator for detecting mental fatigue as well as enabled the application of a low sampling rate eye tracker in the traffic control center.

Aimed for the Safety of Marine Traffic in Tokyo Bay. Visiting Tokyo Wan Vessel Traffic Service Center

Aimed for the Safety of Marine Traffic in Tokyo Bay. Visiting Tokyo Wan Vessel Traffic Service Center

A New Risk Evaluation Model for Safety Management on an Entire Ship Route

In this paper, the authors introduce a new risk evaluation model for evaluating the navigation safety zone for an entire ship route. This model considers a new algorithm to determine the navigational safety zone in real-time, and also takes the navigation officers’ perception while navigating a ship into consideration. The risk quantification has been developed using a questionnaire and incorporated into the new model. A simulation was carried out for the Osaka bay area in order to verify the usefulness of the proposed model. A new approach was employed to monitor the level of navigation safety along a ship route. The entire ship route is divided into small sections as a gridded matrix. The level of navigation safety can be quantified by means of a safety index on the basis of the ship’s navigation data within a specified distance range. The results show that the comparison between risks identified for different sections across the entire ship route is easy, which helps determine the navigational safety zone quickly. This model is expected to be able to serve as a new tool for managing safety throughout an entire ship route area in real-time in order to support the port safety authority or vessel traffic service center.

Pattern Recognition of Ship Navigational Data Using Support Vector Machine

A ship’s sailing route or plan is determined by the master as the decision maker of the vessel, and depends on the characteristics of the navigational environment and the conditions of the ship. The trajectory, which appears as a result of the ship’s navigation, is monitored and stored by a Vessel Traffic Service center, and is used for an analysis of the ship’s navigational pattern and risk assessment within a particular area. However, such an analysis is performed in the same manner, despite the different navigational environments between coastal areas and the harbor limits. The navigational environment within the harbor limits changes rapidly owing to construction of the port facilities, dredging operations, and so on. In this study, a support vector machine was used for processing and modeling the trajectory data. A K-fold cross-validation and a grid search were used for selecting the optimal parameters. A complicated traffic route similar to the circumstances of the harbor limits was constructed for a validation of the model. A group of vessels was composed, each vessel of which was given various speed and course changes along a specified route. As a result of the machine learning, the optimal route and voyage data model were obtained. Finally, the model was presented to Vessel Traffic Service operators to detect any anomalous vessel behaviors. Using the proposed data modeling method, we intend to support the decision-making of Vessel Traffic Service operators in terms of navigational patterns and their characteristics.

Mobile middleware platform for secure vessel traffic system in IoT service environment

AbstractThe Inter‐VTS Data Exchange Format (IVEF) service is the draft standard designed for exchange of information on sea traffic between the vessel traffic systems and between the vessels. Standardization of this service is under way as a part of the next‐generation navigation system, called e‐Navigation. The International Association of Lighthouse Authorities suggests, on its recommendation V‐145, the IVEF service model and the protocol for provisioning of this service. But the detailed configuration of this service must be designed by the users. IVEF service is aimed at establishing a common framework to ensure exchange of ship information between vessel traffic service (VTS) centers gained via automatic ship identification device, closed‐circuit television, radar system and other devices. Robust exchange of marine traffic information between VTS centers through IVEF service will enable related authorities to identify location of domestic and international ships in the coastal waters real‐time and predict expected sea route, thus ensure effective sea route control and pre‐emptive response to potential disasters or accidents. This paper suggests, based on the basic service model and protocol provided in the recommendation V‐145, the implementation of the Jeju‐VTS middleware, which will facilitate exchange of information on sea traffic. This paper developed a system enabling IVEF service simulation under an Internet of Things environment made possible by improving IVEF software development kit, which is an open source. For this, a mobile phone loaded with Android platform and desk top PC has been used for emulation of a ship on voyage and VTS center. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

VTS관제사의 최소안전거리에 관한 기초 연구

This study aims to enhance the effectivity of VTS(Vessel Traffic Service) control by investigating the minimum safe distance between vessel and vessel, vessel and land(obstacle) for the vessel`s safe navigation within the VTS control area. In addition, to suggest basic data for the safe navigation, this study has done survey and analysis to each VTS center, and individual on the minimum safe distance to VTS operators of each ports of korea. Through ocean voyage by training ship, Singapore and Malacca strait`s congested vessel traffic zone`s control distance was compared and investigated the difference on safe distance by the different VTS operators. As a result, there was huge difference of minimum safe distance between the VTS operators belong to the same center. Over all, the port with gentle coastline, like donghae, the safe distance was wider than the other port. On the other hand, port with complex coastline and frequent entry and departure of the vessel, like mokpo, the safe distance was the shortest of all. Therefore, development of module suitable to port`s natural conditions and traffic volume`s necessity is required, for the operators affiliated to the same VTS center control according to formal method. Lastly, the full discussion by the expert group about establishment of standard control procedure in the future should be considered as well.

국내 해상교통관제센터의 요구사항 분석을 통한 차세대 VTS의 항행지원 서비스 시나리오

최근 해상안전을 위한 국제적 기술 개발 및 표준화가 활발하게 진행되고 있다. 특히 e-Navigation을 지향한 기술들이 개발되고 있으며 국내에서도 차세대 해상교통관제기술개발의 필요성이 제기되고 있다. 그리고 현재 국내 환경에 맞는 차세대 VTS (Vessel Traffic Service)를 진행하기 위해서는 국내 VTS 센터의 관제사로부터 요구사항을 수렴하여 이를 시스템 개발에 적용할 필요성이 요구되어 왔다. 따라서 본 논문은 차세대 VTS의 요구사항을 정의하기 위해 15개 국내 해상교통 관제센터로부터 요구 사항을 수렴하고 항행지원 위주의 결과를 분석하여 그 결과를 제시하고자 한다. 그리고 항행지원 요구 사항 분석을 통해 새로운 항행지원 서비스로서 기존 VTS 시스템에서 지원하지 않았던 차세대 VTS용 ASM(Application Specific Messages) 서비스를 제안하고 이를 구현하여 AIS 실제 장비와 연동 및 시뮬레이션 단말시험을 통해 그 가능성과 효과를 검증하고자 한다. Recently, researches of technology and standardization for maritime safety are proceeding internationally. In particular, some technologies and strategies for e-Navigation have been developed and the necessity of development of next generation VTS (Vessel Traffic Service) has been raised in Korea. In order to construct user oriented VTS system for domestic environment, VTS operators are asked for their requirements related to developing VTS and the opinions should be reflected in the VTS. So in this paper, we collect the requirements from fifteen VTS centers in the country and we also analyze them. Furthermore, we propose an ASM (Application Specific Messages) service, which was not supported by current VTS, and we verify the proposed ASM through AIS (Automatic Identification System) system and simulation terminal for maritime safety.

Decision support for vessel traffic service (VTS): user needs for dynamic risk management in the VTS

Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) is a shore-side service implemented by a "Competent Authority to improve the safety and efficiency of vessel traffic and to protect the environment". It is a service that operates through VTS centers, from which VTS operators monitor traffic, assist in navigational matters and provide information to all ships in a designated area. As VTS is provided by operators located on shore, they usually make use of several decision support systems to be able to monitor the traffic and to provide information to the vessels. Although several new tools and approaches have been introduced in the VTS domain, there is still room for improvements. This paper summarizes the results from three studies conducted within the EfficienSea project to approach user needs for dynamic risk management in the VTS domain. Data was collected by conducting study visits and observations at VTS centers, a focus group interview as well as several semi-structured interviews. The paper summarizes the results and presents technical and organizational user needs for dynamic risk management within the VTS domain.

어선 AIS에서의 하이브리드 GPS/EM 컴퍼스에 의한 선수방위 안정화

The ship's heading information of hybrid GPS/EM compass were applied to the AIS of fishing vessel and examined the possibility of accuracy improvement. It is observed 453 each in AIS receiver of land among 3,982 each in AIS Rx/Tx transponder of the test ship at sea, and transmission interval according to the speed of ship is determined the 11.4% good transmitting data of the all information. In results, maximum compass error for the ship's heading of an EM compass was <TEX>$19.1^{\circ}$</TEX>. The variance of ship's heading owing to the speed of ship is surveyed. The COG (Course Over Ground) was changed extremely in <TEX>$180^{\circ}W-179^{\circ}E$</TEX> range under 4.9knots, and in <TEX>$24^{\circ}W-23^{\circ}E$</TEX> range over 4.9knots. Finally, using the ship's heading of EM compass and the COG from GPS for the autopilot system of a small fishing boat and the ship's heading information of AIS results in danger on the own ship's navigation safety and leads to make confusion both the others and VTS (Vessel Traffic Service) center. Therefore, the hybrid GPS/EM compass is identified as the best system for a small fishing boat and is allowed to offer continuously a ship's heading information with high accuracy and stability.

Making Decisions About Safety in US Ports and Waterways

The US Coast Guard (USCG) is charged with maintaining an acceptable level of safety in US ports and waterways. Allocating resources to solve safety problems is difficult because multiple attributes of a port or waterway affect its safety and determine whether a particular safety measure will improve it. We based the ports and waterways safety assessment (PAWSA) model on multiattribute decision analysis techniques and local experts’ and stakeholders’ assessments of safety levels and the effects safety alternatives would have on these levels. The USCG used the PAWSA model to justify funding for four new vessel traffic service centers and to determine new technology requirements for all commercial vessels using US waters. The USCG has adopted it as a permanent part of its safety management tool kit.