• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.409-417
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• 2022

The International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) utilizes a questionnaire to investigate the status of Aids to Navigation (AtoN) around the world. However, results of the IALA questionnaire have limited use because respondent understanding is inconsistent. In addition, there is uncertainty regarding the appropriateness of the questionnaire content. Furthermore, the overall response rate is low. Therefore, the status of AtoN is not clearly understood. AtoN data from around the world are generated hourly. Thus, big data solutions are required to effectively exploit the information. Digitization of analog data is an important component of building big data. Hence, the IALA has developed a Maritime Resource Name (MRN) scheme and an information exchange standard. Here, we used the AtoN information exchange standard and designed an S-201-based big data construction process that could collect and manage global AtoN information. In this study, construction of an IALA AtoN portal was proposed as the core of the construction of the AtoN big data. The process was divided into three stages. IALA AtoN portal is developed by IALA with the goal to provide various meaningful statistical analysis results based on AtoN data while managing AtoN information around the world based on S-201. If an AtoN portal capable of constructing S-201-based big data is developed, then a data collection and storage system that can gather basic S-201 AtoN data from the IALA and global AtoN management agencies could be achieved. Furthermore, insightful statistical analysis of AtoN status worldwide and changes in manufacturing technology will be possible.