The Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) is more than a navigational and anti-grounding tool of a ship, its safety features are much more sophisticated and it should be regarded as the main safety tool onboard a vessel. The inclusion of the Automatic Identification System (AIS) information in ECDIS will make it an efficient anti-collision tool and provide redundancy for radar. The addition of dynamic Electronic Navigation Charts (ENC) permitting real-time depth display will enhance further the safety value of ECDIS. The new functionality of voice output is its another safety feature. ECDIS offers unification of displays for radar, charts, AIS, etc., with user choosing what and when he or she requires and combining the data as the need be. It can be considered as a total, integrated navigational system. It can already display charts and navigational information, radar/ARPA and AIS data. Additional data and information can be easily incorporated making ECDIS the most comprehensive safety device on a ship's bridge. ECDIS technology will be used in a similar fashion for military applications. Like the civilian thematic data layers, the Additional Military Layers (AML) will be overlaid on the chart as and when required by the navigator/tactician. Several AMLs are an extension of the civilian data and require no or few new objects or attributes, the others, purely military products will have to be developed from scratch. Some products may require the definition of both vector and model components. Interfaces with real-time or near real-time information sources are already a reality, and so is dynamic depth adjustment, as well as Internet chart and data access and presentation. These facilities have been recently developed for the port of San Diego. Long term aims include provision of the high density digital bathymetric data and determining the methodology of supplying dynamic data by various scientific, government and commercial organizations. New data exchange formats, such as Marine XML, are being considered to improve interoperability of various data bases and other data sources with the users on ships. ECDIS is also important for the pleasure and fishing craft. They frequently have no radar and usually no room for dedicated displays. However, ECDIS and similar systems are becoming prevalent on small vessels and are the best means to display all navigational information, thus improving the safety of small craft. The Internet distribution of navigational software and electronic charts increases the availability of these products and thus enhances indirectly the safety of navigation.
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