The project's aims have been concerned with development of advanced visualisation methods for connection to pilot books with the intention of improving navigational safety of vessels in congested and other waters by integrating various sourced data to provide dynamic 3D displays generated by satellite pictures.

Databases containing 3D models of localised terrains and their structures, a viewer and an electronic pilot book are jointly connected to an ECDIS which then provides a host of additional navigational data such as height of ship's bridge, position, course and heading. Search facilities include those for real time updates from shore based VTS and harbour centres for dynamic data on tides, currents and wind effects.

Trials of systems have recently been completed in the Baltic between Helsinki and Tallin aboard Tallink's fast catamaran 'AutoExpress 2', and in the Mediterranean aboard Sacor Maritima's tanker 'Gulp Setubal', sailing between Sines and Valencia. For the trials, existing bridge equipment on both vessels was augmented by the addition of an Atlas Chartpilot 9230 ECDIS and a purpose designed 3-D viewer.

An official report is due to be published shortly on the EPDIS project's official website (www. epdis. de). Meanwhile, further trials will continue until next March in both the Baltic and Mediterranean with the project consortium also planning to submit recommendations for a new 3D electronic chart standard to relevant IMO and IEC working groups.