ECDIS: Revolutionary or Evolutionary?

Stephen F. Ford

Abstract:	“ECDIS: Revolutionary or Evolutionarv” This paper establishes the revolutionary aspect of the Electronic Navigation Chart (ENC) and the evolutionary nature of Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS). The ENC is an electronic representation of a nautical chart. It is a navigational derivative of a Geographic Information System (GIS). The ECDIS integrates electronic positioning and other information with ENC data. The ECDIS marries a Management Information System (MIS) and a GIS into an integrated tactical display for the navigator. A brief history, as derived from the author’s participation and experiences, tracks the development of the electronic chart from the mid- 1970’s to the present A system’s overview provides the aeronautical and nautical navigation practitioner with an understanding of the relationships between ENC, ECDIS, and the Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS). The objective of the paper is improved navigation safety for all navigators and to highlight key technical areas that are still unresolved. The author’s observations portray a Mariner’s and a Manager’s View of an ECDIS system. The paper addresses the issues of: l Types of ENC l Federal Constraints on ECDIS l Need for modern Chart Surveys l Need for Training 0 Premature U.S. Legislation l Future ECDIS Evolution The significance of this work is the achievement of a more informed navigational practitioner who will be less likely to end up a statistic and more likely to enhance navigation safety.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 1994 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation January 24 - 26, 1994 Catamaran Resort Hotel San Diego, CA
Pages:	719 - 728
Cite this article:	Ford, Stephen F., "ECDIS: Revolutionary or Evolutionary?," Proceedings of the 1994 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, San Diego, CA, January 1994, pp. 719-728.
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