Next-Generation Ship Navigation Technology
Northrop Grumman's Sperry Marine business unit unveiled its next-generation marine navigation technology. The family of navigation products, which will be marketed under the VisionMaster FT label, will be launched at the Shipbuilding Machinery & Marine (SMM) Technology exhibition in Hamburg in September 2006. VisionMaster FT is a series of scalable solutions, that is prepared to upgrade in the future to meet the emerging requirements of shipboard navigation in the 21rst century. VisionMaster FT also can use value-added services, such as electronic chart downloads, automatic weather routing and remote diagnostics and performance monitoring. TotalWatch replaces traditional, stand-alone single-function navigation workstations with a true multi-function navigation console similar to those used in aircraft cockpits. The VisionMaster FT ECDIS complies with all International Maritime Organization carriage requirements for navigating without paper charts when a backup ECDIS is installed. The system's Universal Chart Manager accepts any authorized vector or raster chart format. The split-screen capability permits two independent charts to be shown simultaneously, and a unique, picture-in-picture window allows the user to view specific areas of the chart at different scales. The ECDIS can be integrated with the radar and automatic identification system for common target identification and overlay of data on the ECDIS screen.
