GLONASS Helps to Maintain Safe Navigation

31.01.2012 780-th Navigational Hardware Repair Plant started to equip light-optical devices mounted on sea buoys, coastal beacons and lighthouses with special GLONASS-based modules. Mainly, this innovation is called to improve reliability of navigational aids and maintain safety of seafaring. The project will be implemented with technical support of GLONASS Northwest.

JSC 780-th Navigational Hardware Repair Plant is subordinated to Russian Defense Ministry and engaged in development, production, and service maintenance of navigational facilities providing safe seafaring.

"Serviceability of navigational aids guarantees positioning accuracy to vessels, and so, safety of their movements. Use of GLONASS technology opens new possibilities for remote control and continuous monitoring over status and location of sea buoys, coastal beacons, and marine electric lanterns", says Denis Bukhov, development director of JSC 780-th Navigational Hardware Repair Plant.

Remote control system for maritime navigational aids offered by GLONASS Northwest has no analogs in Russia. Its basis is a special module (transponder), a development of the company's engineers. Transponder is mounted on a controlled object, receives GLONASS and GPS signals, and transmits obtained information via cellular networks to control point. Distinctive feature of the equipment is ultra-low energy consumption (about 1 milliampere in standby mode). The equipment has passed a number of serial tests; its quality and reliability conform to the GOST Governmental Standards.

"Obtaining information from GLONASS modules, operator will see on his electronic chart the number of serviceable navigational aids and their precise coordinates on a real-time basis. For instance, if a beacon goes out of operation or a buoy deviates from assigned area, operator will warn vessels about the failure", points out Artyom Matyash, director of GLONASS Northwest. "Thanks to satellite synchronization of navigational lights, it becomes possible to adjust them under "treadmill" principle. Lighting up sequentially in trail, lanterns will show the way to a vessel; this will provide easy positioning and additional safety of seafaring", he said.

In prospect, GLONASS-based navigational modules may be also used for acquisition of meteorological data (temperature, humidity, pressure etc) which will make possible to forecast and timely warn vessels about weather conditions in certain water area.