AIS History and Future Improvements in Waterway Management

Widespread adoption of a standardized Automatic Identification System (AIS) by navigating vessels is a recent development in the technological landscape of navigation engineering. As this technology nears a decade in commercial use, it is apparent that practical applications exist for this technology beyond those for which it was designed. When viewed as a remote sensing technology, AIS presents a measure of quantified vessel behavior, the scope of which has - until now - been practically unachievable. This paper outlines the context of current efforts by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to develop applications for use of AIS data in performance-based management of waterway infrastructure. New metrics for use in waterway management decision-making are discussed in the context of system optimization. Comparison between data components available from AIS records and typical study needs are made to establish a case for further exploration and development.