[It’s another MadMariner features from a few weeks back. —Tim]
Jeppesen Marine recently announced plans to unveil C-MAP 4D – a new electronic charting technology that, according to company officials, "will literally change the way boaters see the world." Oh yeah? Well, lay it on me!
Although I like to poke fun at marketing hyperbole, C-MAP 4D appears to include a lot of cool capabilities. We’ll look at some of that here, but the availability of so much rich data raises an important question: is there such a thing as too much information?
I’m of two minds when it comes to the question of information overload. On the one hand, "data" is always better than "no data." On the other hand, undifferentiated information is, well, noise. Knowledge–not to be confused with information–is created when raw information is filtered intelligently. In other words, knowledge is something that occurs when we restrict or reduce the flow of information to that which is relevant to the task at hand.
Jeppesen is offering more data, and that’s good. It’s up to the chartplotter manufacturers to create the right tools and interface to make it serve the mariner’s needs.
The point of that little epistemological digression is that in a navigational setting, more data is good, but having the right tools and interface to make appropriate use of the data is even more important.
So let’s be clear: Jeppesen is offering "more data," and that’s good. But it’s up to the chartplotter manufacturers to create the right tools and interface to make it really serve the mariner’s needs.
Let’s take a look at some presentations possible the C-MAP 4D data. By the way, if you want to see it all in person, C-MAP 4D will be previewed at several boat shows. The global debut will be held at the Genoa International Boat Show on Oct. 3, and the North American public premiere will be held at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show October 29. Beginning this fall, several leading marine electronics manufacturers will offer C-MAP 4D capabilities.
Using one cartridge, skippers can select the coverage area and the content segment that best meets their needs.
Jeppesen realizes that new (and therefore unfamiliar) technology isn’t always preferable to the tried and true, so the technology behind C-MAP 4D gives boaters control over their navigation experience. Using one cartridge, skippers can select the coverage area and the content segment that best meets their boating needs. For example, when approaching an unfamiliar channel, you could choose to keep your navigational presentation familiar by selecting the Max segment, which includes all the popular features of the existing C-MAP MAX product. You’ll have enough on your cognitive plate without trying to interpret an unfamiliar chart view.
Then, once you’re back in familiar territory, you could explore the more advanced features available by selecting the 4D segment of C-MAP 4D, which includes: 4-Dimensional Charting Technology. Whuh-huh? I admit I was confused here, so I read the press release a little more closely. "The physical world has 3 dimensions. Add the 4th dimension of time (Oh, that 4th dimension!) to the most detailed 3D height and depth worldwide database available, combining this with Jeppesen Marine’s unparalleled professional navigation chart data."
NEW VIEWS
C-MAP 4D is based on a continuous update process; C-MAP 4D content is updated at least twice per year, and in some regions as many as three times per year, so boaters can select how often they want to update their charts based on their requirements.
C-MAP 4D includes a navigational perspective with high-resolution coastal imagery overlaid on the most accurate and up-to-date vector data, plus thousands of photos.
C-MAP 4D includes a navigational perspective with high-resolution coastal imagery overlaid on the most accurate and up-to-date vector data, plus thousands of photos for the most popular marinas and areas of interest.
The Easy-Routing Technology analyzes the high-quality C-MAP 4D data, works out the shortest route and then checks and displays hazards in each leg of the journey.
Boaters receive "at-a-glance" information using paper charts overlaid on multi-dimensional shaded relief.
Jeppesen Marine also provides an additional reference source for navigational awareness. Boaters receive "at-a-glance" information using the nautical paper charts overlaid on the multi-dimensional shaded relief to have a new boating experience.
It’s easy to understand these innovative views depicted in the screenshots. Jeppeson has created ways to overlay several kinds of data onto one-another. So, for instance, vector data from a nautical chart can be overlayed upon Jeppesen’s worldwide 3D model, and then the whole thing can be "tilted" to allow it to be viewed from an angle other than directly overhead.
The end result is lots and lots of cool new ways to view navigational data. What remains unclear is which presentations genuinely enhance the navigational experience in terms of safety, ease-of-use and aesthetics. Only time will tell. I’m sure that Jeppeson and the hardware manufacturers are eager to hear from real-world mariners about their experiences with this new technology.
