It is a new navigation aids application technology based on AIS technology. During construction of intelligent waterway in the Yangtze River, virtual navigation aids, as an important supplement and improvement of real navigation aids, on one hand, can be used in temporary and rapidly setting navigation aids, marking special water area and optimizing the distribution of navigation aids in special reach based on its existing functions, on the other hand, can be expanded in functions due to its advantages of low cost, rapid installation and hinder navigation. The problems of constructing specific AIS telecommunication base station and network,coexistence of virtual and real navigation aids and changes of waterway management should be solved in the future development.