Ice in ECDIS WorkshopJune 5-6, 2000

St. John’s Canada

Summary Report forInternational Ice Chart Working Group

October 3-5, 2000

Workshop Objective

to review and discuss the vision, methodology, benefits, and process in providing and integrating ice information into Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS).

36 Participants Representing

Government Departments– Canadian Ice Service; Canadian Coast Guard; Canadian Hydrographic

Service; Transport Canada; US Coast Guard

ENC Experts / Researchers– J.D. Pace; IDON; universities

ECDIS Manufacturers– SevenCs; Offshore Systems Ltd., ICAN

Private Sector Data Providers– Nautical Data International; Oceans Ltd.; CORETEC, Provincial Airlines

Canada Centre for Marine Communications

Agenda Background & Vision - Ice in ECDIS Navigating Through Ice –View from the Mariners Delivering the Information - View from the Data

Producers ECDIS - View from Manufacturers: Breakout Sessions:

– Provision and Integration of Ice Data– Information Overload – Integrating Mio’s– Ice and Related Data and the Marine Information Highway

Conclusions and Next Steps

Key Observations

Should not be limited to ECDIS but should consider all Electronic Chart Systems

ECS manufacturers are keen to incorporate ice information– lack of regulations for ECDIS (ECS) is hindering

implementation and use in commercial shipping– should not wait for formal approval of ice

specifications

Key Observations (cont)

IHO S-57 standard currently “frozen” and may not accept changes in near future– alternative proposal to ask IHO to adopt a new

standard dealing specifically with ice information:• object-linked format for both raster and vector ECS

IHO is not the sole standards organization– IMO acceptance is key– Baltic organization has strong idea of what should

be done and wants to move forward

Standards Roadmap

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other egDIGESTor VRF

S-57S-57S-52

AppropriateOrganization/Interest Group

Four questions to beconsidered:1. Source?2. Responsibility?3. Distribution?4. Display?

Key Observations (cont)

Display of ice information on electronic charts must be uncluttered, intuitive and simple:– recommendation is to use colours or hatching to delineate

ice areas with egg codes only displayed if an area is “clicked” (SevenCs approach); more client testing needed

– “Summarized” symbology that interprets data based on the ship’s characteristics:

• no problem - caution - no-go

– simple look ahead capability - ability to add/remove ice information with a single operator operation

Key Observations (cont)

two modes of use:– route planning where full information should be available

– route monitoring where less information is required too much information could result in Mariners turning off

other “critical information”– need to assess MIO/information overload issues during a pilot

project; should be able to display ice information with both raster

and vector data formats; need for training, tools and procedures for the use of ice

information

Next Steps - Pilot Project

winter 2000 Gulf of St. Lawrence Participants:

– CIS, CHS, NDI, CCMC, CCG committed– TRANSAS, SevenCs, ASPO, Kelvin Hughes,

OSL, ICAN, Canstar probably committed– shipping companies TBD

currently seeking funding - $220K CDN