Samenvatting

Trackpilots can help inland skippers sail an optimal route with minimal human input, which has the potential to save fuel costs and lower crew workload. In theory, widespread adoption of trackpilots is not only beneficial for crew on board, but also for traffic operators ashore. Data from trackpilots or intentions could be shared with fellow skippers and traffic operators. This could minimize verbal communication and allow operators to focus on the most important safety concerns. However, a larger information load in the form of trackpilot data may not necessarily increase situational awareness. This paper examines the effect of trackpilot use on situational awareness in practice, with two field experiments run by students at the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. The exploratory results suggest that a trackpilot has the potential to shift situational awareness and decreases workload on board. At the same time, when vessel traffic services (VTS) operators ashore receive intentions from trackpilot information, situational awareness is unaffected, but operators expect the workload to increase. Policy implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.