See other ships on the map that are broadcasting through maritime VHF radio and send your own position to MarineTraffic.
AIS & MarineTraffic
Hardware
Connect an existing maritime VHF antenna to your AyeAye® and you are ready to go. Thanks to the built-in 4G and SIM card, you are broadcasting your own position directly to MarineTraffic.
Receiving other ships
After connecting an antenna you are able to receive class A and B data that other ships broadcast through their traditional AIS transponders with VHF antenna.
Sending your position
You are connected to MarineTraffic and report your position through internet rather than radio. This is the reason that you will not need a VHF certificate for using the AyeAye® boat computer.
Please note: Internet AIS reception is not “real” AIS and not comparable to traditional AIS data that you pick up with a maritime VHF antenna. However, MarineTraffic users will be able to see you.
Use case 1: Navigating busy shipping lanes
When travelling busy waters you are on high alert. What are the bigger ships doing? They are often going faster than you’ve expected. They seem so slow but with a blink of an Aye (pun intended) that same ship comes real close all of the sudden! When navigating around other vessels, especially much larger ones, it is helpful to be aware of possible collision courses.
Now, by having an AIS channel A and B receiver, you will know if your heading is safe and if not, you can plot a safe course on the go!
Use case 2: Sharing your position with the family
Sending your position with your AyeAye® boat computer to MarineTraffic users might not seem very practical when considering many boaters only use traditional VHF. A big advantage, however, is that family and friends can also follow one’s journey in real time. Peace of mind for your loved ones! Bloggers and vloggers will also appreciate the possibility of having live integration of MarineTraffic data on their website.
Use case 3: Sharing is caring
The traditional AIS data you receive with your AyeAye® boat computer will be shared with the official MarineTraffic database through the built-in 4G internet connection. MarineTraffic is the world’s leading provider of ship tracking and maritime intelligence. They are dedicated to making actionable information easily accessible. Monitoring vessel movements is at the core of what they do and by sharing data we are helping them accomplish their mission.
Future: Receive MarineTraffic
In the future we will add the possibility to receive information from MarineTraffic, rather than only sending information to it. This way, you will be able to receive ship positions from an even larger area around you.
Future: Broadcast through VHF frequency
We hope to be able to build our own AIS transceiver in the future. This addon will be available as a separate module in a later stage. Due to the radio directives we have chosen not to include it in our all-in-one boat computer at this stage.
