A Study on Observation Effectiveness Between AIS and ARPA in Vessel Traffic Service

• Main Authors: Chih-Hao Huang, 黃志豪
• Other Authors: Bin Lin
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2005
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/89119588041985877683

碩士 === 國立臺灣海洋大學 === 商船學系所 === 93 === During the past twenty years, Automatic Radar Plotting Aids (ARPA) and Very High Frequency (VHF) were the primary equipment in Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) for surveillance and communication. In 2002 International Maritime Organization amended the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). Currently all ships of 500 gross tonnage and over have installed Automatic Identification System (AIS). VTS center can use both ARPA and AIS to catch basic information and movements of target ships sailing within coastal waters. Which information is more accurate and useful becomes a new problem for VTS operators. An experiment of comparing accuracy and coverage between ARPA and AIS was carried out in this study. The Merchant Marine building in National Taiwan Ocean University was assumed as a VTS center, and the northern sea waters within 25 nautical miles of the building was surveyed by the two equipment to catch target ships. Results firstly reveal that the coverage of ARPA is less than one fifth of that of AIS. Secondly, the average error of ARPA is within 3.9 meters on position accuracy, and that of AIS is ten meters but within acceptable limitation of GPS received. Thirdly, compared with automatic and continuous displays of target positions and information in AIS, those in ARPA are more rough and inconvenient because the targets have to be acquired by manual first and then traced and calculated by computer processor. Some echoes can not be identified due to effects of weather or shadows. Consequently this study suggests the AIS information has the priority for VTS operators. ARPA is still kept in a traditional role because there are many non-convention ships like harbor craft, fishing boat, naval ship, etc. within waters and cannot be detected by AIS.