Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T22:20:56.183Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Integrated Marine Electronic Systems – Some User Associated Issues for the Designer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 August 2006

Stella Mills
Affiliation:
Staffordshire University Email: [email protected]

Abstract

Marine accidents have many causes but a recurring theme is poor watch-keeping often caused by weak bridge management. Information overload is sometimes blamed for accidents and attempts to reduce information overload may include electronic systems which have been produced for integrating information from various electronic sources so that information is concentrated on fewer screens. This article explores some of the issues facing the designers of such systems. While acknowledgement is given to some of the technical problems, the article concentrates on those issues associated with the user of such systems, in particular, domain knowledge, screen design and user control. Available Marine Accident Investigation Reports for 2004 are used to highlight that, in that year, only one passenger vessel incident was attributed in part to poor data from electronic aids. However, it is accepted that a much wider study of such reports is needed before any firm conclusions can be drawn.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Institute of Navigation 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Ambrowski, C (1976), ‘An automated integrated ship’s bridge layout’, The Journal of Navigation, 29(1), 8289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beech, K A and Andersen, S (1995), Fiskeskib 2000, Aalborg: Fiskeskib 2000A/S.Google Scholar
Campbell, Lady (2005), ‘Can You bring some Cheer this Christmas?’, Christmas Appeal letter, Whiteley: Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen.Google Scholar
Digest (2005), Fishing 2005 Safety Digest, Southampton: Marine Accident Investigation Branch.Google Scholar
Dix, Alan, Finlay, Janet, Abowd, Gregory and Beale, Russell (1993), Human-Computer Interaction, Hemel Hempstead: Prentice Hall International (UK) Limited.Google Scholar
Fisher, Kim (2005), ‘A far cry from “Land ho!”’, Fairway Newsletter of the small craft and the marine traffic & navigation groups, The Royal Institute of Navigation, Issue No 21, 67.Google Scholar
Hadley, M A (1988), ‘Present trends in naval bridge design and integrated navigation’, The Journal of Navigation, 41(2), 276287.Google Scholar
Howard, Martin (1999), ‘Visualising Automation Behaviour’, Chapter 4 in Dekker, Sidney and Hollnagel, Erik (1999), Coping with Computers in the Cockpit, Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Ltd.Google Scholar
ISO/DIS 8468 (2005), Ship’s bridge layout and associated equipment – Requirements and guidelines, Revision of ISO 8468:1990, Geneva: International Organization for Standardization.Google Scholar
Ivergard, Toni (1989), Handbook of Control Room Design and Ergonomics, London: Taylor & Francis.Google Scholar
Jackson, Richard, MacDonald, Lindsay and Freeman, Ken (1994), Computer Generated Color A Practical Guide to Presentation and Display, Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Labbe, David (2005), ‘Voyage of the Ghost Ship’, New Boundaries University of Southampton Research, Issue 3, 2226.Google Scholar
Levine, Mark and Loizou, George (1999), A Guided Tour of Relational Databases and Beyond, London: Springer-Verlag.Google Scholar
MAIB (2004), Completed preliminary examinations 2004, Southampton: Marine Accident Investigation Branch: Southampton, available from: http://www.maib.dft.gov.uk/publications/completed_preliminary_examinations.cfmaccessed on 23 November 2005.Google Scholar
MAIB (2005a), Report on the investigations of the foundering of fv Kathryn Jane 4·6 nm west of Skye on or about 28 July 2004 with the loss of the skipper and one possible crew member the capsize and foundering of fv Emerald Dawn off Kilkeel on 10 November 2004 with the loss of one life the foundering of fv Jann Denise II 5 miles SSE of the River Tyne on 17 November 2004 with the loss of her two crew, Report no 15/2005, Southampton: Marine Accident Investigation Branch.Google Scholar
MAIB (2005b), Report on the investigation of the grounding of the passenger vessel Waverley South of Sanda Island West Coast of Scotland 20 June 2004, Southampton: Marine Accident Investigation Branch.Google Scholar
Mills, Stella (1995), ‘To Live or Drown: When Information Systems become Critical’, The Computer Journal, 38(6), 413417.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mills, Stella (1998), ‘Information Integration – a Task Oriented Approach’, Interacting with Computers, 9, 225240.Google Scholar
Mills, Stella (1999), ‘Bridge ’99 Concept’ in Noyes, Janet M and Cook, Malcolm (1999), Interface Technology the leading edge, Baldock: Research Studies Press Ltd.Google Scholar
Mills, Stella (2000), ‘Safer Positioning of Electronic Fishing Aids’, The Journal of Navigation, 53(2), 355370.Google Scholar
Mills, Stella (2005), ‘Designing Usable Marine Interfaces: Some Issues and Constraints’, The Journal of Navigation, 58(1), 6775.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Osga, G A (1989), ‘User-computer interface issues for future ship combat controls’, in Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 33rd Annual Meeting, 10791095. Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors Society.Google Scholar
Redmill, Felix and Rajan, Jane (1997), Human Factors in Safety Critical Systems, Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann.Google Scholar
Stoop, J (1990), ‘Redesign of bridge layout and equipment for fishing vessels’, The Journal of Navigation, 43(2), 215228.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Witty, J H (1984), ‘Fishing Vessel Navigation’, The Journal of Navigation, 37(2), 279285. This paper is a reproduction of one given at a seminar on Specialised Navigation on 1st December 1983 in London at The Nautical Institute. See Proceedings of the Seminar, pages 26–32.Google Scholar
Wtherbe, James C and Vitalari, Nicholas P (1994), Systems Analysis and Design Best Practices, 4th ed., St Paul, Mineapolis: West Publishing Company.Google Scholar