Mavigation Support System with Voice Control and Guidance

摘要

A project for development of a modernized coastal service vessel has progressed in the industries of Japanese domestic marine transportation in order to attain safety and economy and to improve the labor environment. In the navigation department research on a navigation support system has been performed in order to reduce the physical and mental burden on a watch officer and prevent an outbreak of a casualty during one-man bridge operation. During this research, a new type of navigation support system was designed to prevent a watch officer from committing human error and to make him much more comfortable by means of voice input/output technology. This navigation support system enables a watch officer to get necessary information for the ship handling with no-touch or only one-touch operation by voice input/output function. This system can also give a watch officer voice information and alarm on risk of collision and grounding. In addition, the system provides appropriate voice information regarding oral inquiry by a watch officer concerning navigational and environmental conditions. Moreover a watch officer can handle a ship by ordering course and speed by voice. As a result of the function test by the developed pilot system, it was confirmed that navigation support with voice control and guidance is effective and practical enough.