High Speed Craft (HSC) are designed to deliver personnel and equipment, but are subject to high levels of shock and vibration when operating in poor sea conditions. The crew's ability to cope with the harsh ride is very limited; this results in degraded performance, specifically from motion-induced-fatigue. The personnel are also put at risk of acute and chronic musculoskeletal injuries; this is supported by research undertaken by the US Navy. The design of HSC are typically based on a Deep-V hull of the required size and shape, with an appropriate power plant to provide the required performance envelope. The HSC personnel must then cope with the resulting ride characteristics. It may therefore be appropriate to examine an alternative design philosophy. The proposed philosophy is to design HSC from a 'human-centered' perspective, based on human characteristics rather than the current 'craft centered' perspective. The adoption of this human centered design philosophy should enhance operational performance, specifically by reducing motion-induced-fatigue, as well as reducing the risk of injury.
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