The Web-based Tidal Atlas for Singapore is the world’s first and it is hoped to be able to help ship and berth operators save time and money.
Danish DHI Water and Environment is a part of the Digital Tidal Atlas through their partnership with Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore that developed the service with help from its two European partners, British Maritime Technology and DHI.
The Digital Tidal Atlas can give ship and berth operators timely information on tides and currents with a 10-minute time delay.
Its creators say this is a marked improvement over a bi-annual tide timetable book.
“As it is difficult for the industry to get detailed predictions of the water movement hour by hour, minute by minute, people have been extremely interested in what we’ve been doing,” Mark Womersley of British Maritime Technology Asia Pacific said.
The project costs SS$1 million and has taken two years to develop.
Can help search and rescue missions
The online portal relies on underwater sensors and hydraulic formulas to calculate tidal conditions.
It also has applications that can help in search and rescue missions; search areas can be narrowed because of more accurate and timely data on current and flow direction.
For a start, the online tidal almanac can only be used to check the currents in Singapore, but there are plans to expand its coverage to China and Australia or even larger stretches of water.
The JV expects to work with marine authorities in neighbouring countries to do more research and development.
It also plans to explore other technologies, like satellite, to complement the measurements from its underwater sensors.
