Marine Autoroute

[tim]

Dear All,

I'm currently studying for an MSc and for my thesis I am producing a web application that is the marine version of AA Autoroute. I need to seek feedback on whether or not the maritime community would find such a facility useful, and so would welcome your comments. The application works thus: -

The PBO Small Craft Almanac publishes tables of waypoints, and diagrams linking waypoint to waypoints. These waypoints and links are in effect a web of routes and as such, with appropriate technology, can be searched and traversed by a computer to identify the shortest route between waypoints.

I have produced an application which allows a user to enter a start location and an end location. The application will then return a list of all the waypoints (as given in the almanac), including the lat and long, and write the list out to a file for importing as a route in a GPS.

However, I have also developed the application to allow for the fact that you might wish to travel to a location where the waypoints are published in a different web-based almanac. For example, say you wanted to travel from Wicklow in Ireland, to Corisca in the Med. The application will open the web almanacs for Ireland, UK, Spain, Portugal and Italy, and then return the appropriate waypoints to you.

Of course, some of the work is theoretical (but I have proven to work), and I cannot publish my work (yet) on the Web because the waypoints are the property of PBO (whom I have attempted to contact but they have not responded). However, I would welcome your opinion on the usefulness of the application and any ideas you think enhance it e.g. adding a 'via' facility (which is already in the pipeline).

Many thanks,

Tim

p.s. I'll also post this on PBO

 

[petery]

40 years ago I was deep into vehicle routeing and developed some algorithms. I gave up when I sent 13 vehicles to a small village on early closing day!!!

Seriously though, in the same way that a vehicle routeing program has got to deal with different speeds on different types of roads according to time of day, your program must surely handle tides and perhaps wind direction during the trip to provide an optimum plan. A safe trip between two waypoints at one state of the tide could be an interesting trip through a race at another.

 

[sailbadthesinner]

oh did you know autoroute the program has long and lat on it?

Come on brain.get this over and i can go back to killing you with beer

 

[Guest]

Dead right. I can see what's being got at but my experience of (any) software is that it acts in such a way as to stop the user actually thinking - which is precisely the opposite of what correct passage planning is all about.

Imagine Cherbourg to St Vaast based merely on waypoints - it would almost certainly be a very interesting passage.

No, sorry - this definitely wouldn't interest me.

Might interest a stinkie though (ooohh)

Geoff W

 

[petery]

...some further thoughts

As an 'oldie' with just a gentleman's degree (3rd class) I am surprised that you can get an MSc by writing a fairly simple piece of application code - based - as you indicated - on an exisiting concept ie Autoroute. The network analysis 'bit' is available off the shelf.

What would be much more interesting - and challenging - is to devise an intelligent system using, for example, Prolog, that could take all the important factors into account. If you do, and get your MSc ,PM me if you are looking to do some consultancy work on Intelligent systems.

 

[rhinorhino]

Forgive me but it seems completely pointless, no pun intended.
Unlike roads which provide a choice of route / speeds / congestion etc. The sea tends to provide a uniform surface on which you can travel in a straight line form a-b. You travel at the same speed wherever you go so route selection tends to be simple (stay off the dry bits of the chart!)
Second, any plotting planning software already does pretty much what you are thinking of, so why reinvent the wheel?
I also find the idea that way-points belong to someone interesting. Sure a published list of numbers may do but creating your own is very simple and hardly difficult.
Sorry to pour cold-water on the idea.
Now a plotting program that can shape a course properly thats a differet issue.

 

[tim]

Re: ...some further thoughts

Writing an application is only a small part of doing an MSc - there's the research, the modules, the exams......

 

[petery]

Re: ...some further thoughts

That shows my age and the length of time away from academia - apologies. ..but I still think that an intelligent system might have a market while a 'marine' autoroute might not.

 

[ponapay]

NOT a good idea at all. Just think of all the idiots relying on electrics and not bothering to look out. If they all use someone else's waypoints they will all collide.

I have seen too many people relying entirely on pre-printed waypoints to believe this is sensible. ALL are required to plan their passages, let them do it properly by plotting and using their on waypoints that suit their sailing and experience.

Sorry to be a lemon, the idea has some merit but not for those just not bothered to do their own planning.