INTEGRATED NAVIGATION SYSTEMS
Adapted from: Pritchard,B., Maritime English I
 Electronic integrated bridge concepts are
driving future navigation system planning.
Integrated systems take inputs from
various ship sensors, electronically display
positioning information, and provide
control signals required to maintain a
vessel on a preset course. The navigator
becomes a system manager, choosing
system presets, interpreting system
output, and monitoring vessel response.
 A modern integrated control system aims
to enable one watch-keeping officer to
control the ship's navigation, her
propulsion system and the cargo spaces.
At its heart is a digital processing unit
which is interfaced with multiple sensors.
A ship’s integrated navigation system
INS brings together data from multiple sources and forms part of the Integrated
Bridge System, which revolutionised the way boats navigate.
The increasing trend towards electronic displays will be discussed as will how
leisure craft that are fitted with AIS Class B are displayed on modern ship bridges.
 Recent advances in electronic navigation
apparatus and circuits have provided suitable
sensor output which can be integrated into one
master navigation unit.
 The input data required for a safe and
economical navigation and for an integrated
navigation system are available from:
 a heading sensor, i.e. pulses from a
gyroscopic compass including the correction
of gyro errors
 a velocity sensor providing a pulsed input
from a duel axis speed log, with corrections
for the difference . in speed over ground
(SOG) and speed through the water.
 sea water temperature and salinity sensors
 a pitch and roll sensor, with an electronic
inclinometer compensating for changes in
the indicated speed.
Ship’s sensors
Heading sensor
 A heading sensor that
incorporates innovative
electromagnetic
compass technology for
highly accurate and
stable readouts of a
ship's heading.
Pitch and roll sensor: dynamic roll and
pitch accuracy to 0.25°
 a depth sensor (e.g. output from an echo
sounder displayed on the VDU)
 Satellite Navigation Receiver. Output of a
single or dual channel receiver is used to update the DR position
 GPS - global positioning system.
 Radar. Processed data from both 3 or 10 an
(s and x band) anti-collision radars is of vital
importance for the safe passage of a vessel
(ARPA).
 Auto-Pilot, with a rudder movement indicator.
 Satcom
Marine radar
 Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio
waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or
speed of objects.
 The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio
waves or microwaves which bounce off any object in
their path. The object returns a tiny part of the wave's
energy to a dish or antenna which is usually l
 Radar was secretly developed by several nations before
and during World War II.
 The term RADAR was coined in 1941 by the United
States Navy as an acronym for radio detection and
ranging. The term radar has since entered English and
other languages as the common noun radar, losing all
capitalization.
 In addition to these sensors the integrated
navigation system may also include an
anemometer, a barometer, VDU with
sufficient memory, engine and fuel
sensors, cargo sensors, various alarm
systems. Likewise, a display of weather
forecasts and warnings as well as of
reports to navigators are available via
satellite. Port information may be
included, too.
anemometer
 An anemometer is a device for measuring wind
speed, and is a common weather station
instrument. The term is derived from the Greek word
anemos, meaning wind, and is used to describe any
airspeed measurement instrument used in
meteorology or aerodynamics. The first known
description of an anemometer was given by Leon
Battista Alberti around 1450.
anemometer
barometer
Ship fluid level (pressure, temperature,
draft) monitoring system
(cargo, ballast)
tank-level sensor
Electronic chart display
Ship’s satellite weather display
Navtex/weather fax machine