THE ELECTRONIC CHART IN THE INTEGRATED BRIDGE: AN EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AT SEA

An electronic chart is being developed at Liverpool Polytechnic and is now undergoing sea trials. The system is designed to serve both as a chart display upon which passage planning and navigation chartwork can be performed, and as a maritime Geographic Information System (GIS). Within an integrated ship's bridge, the electronic chart becomes a focal point for the display of vital navigational information collected by ship's sensors and, through the use of carefully designed user interface and data access software, becomes the central navigational resource. Simulator and sea trials have shown the electronic chart to offer a viable alternative to traditional paper chart based methods.