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Automatic Identification System facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a way for a ship to use a radio to tell other ships about it's position. It sends messages every few seconds. These are received other ships and by stations on land and on some satellites. A ship knows its position by using Global Positioning System (GPS). Since 2004, all ships above 300 tons and all passenger ships have to use AIS. AIS was made to avoid ships colliding.

  • AIS Manche Est

    A ship can see where other ships are (this is the English Channel)

  • OperationsSpecialistVTS

    A person on land can tell ships where to go

Images for kids

  • Ais dcu bridge

    An AIS-equipped system on board a ship presents the bearing and distance of nearby vessels in a radar-like display format.

  • Ships AIS display with lists of nearby vessels

    A vessel's text-only AIS display, listing nearby vessels' range, bearings, and names

  • AIS-USCG-Overview

    System overview from US Coast Guard

  • AIS message GMSK modulation signal example

    AIS message GMSK modulation signal example

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Sistema de Identificación Automática para niños

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Automatic Identification System Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.