Using predictive information to support navigation decisions for the C-shield platform

摘要

The goal of the current research was to identify possibilities to support the operator of the unmanned C-Shield vessel in making informed decisions regarding whether and when to intervene, what course and speed to command, and to support the operator in understanding the impact of a speed change on the future separation. Over half a century ago, research into possibilities to support nautical control tasks resulted in the first predictive display. This type of display has a fundamental advantage relative to command displays that merely tell an operator what to do. Because of the conceptual superiority of the predictive display concept, it was selected as the basis for the navigation support functions. By shifting the extrapolation task from the operator to the system it was expected that the workload will be reduced while at the same time the superior accuracy of the resulting information leads to more efficient navigation decisions. In the current phase of the project, predictive support functions have been designed that continuously show the impact of course changes in terms of separation with other vessels. Furthermore, a support function has been designed that allows the operator to evaluate the impact of a speed change on the future separation. To explore the potential using operator-in-the-loop simulation, the support func- tions have been implemented and integrated into a research navigation control station for an unmanned vessel. The initial evaluation shows that with the support tools the following results are achieved: 1. A consistent reduction in average mission completion time and average distance travelled. 2. A consistent and significant reduction in operator effort. 3. In those cases where separation was lost, the amount was far less severe. Based on these results, it is concluded that the use of the predictive support functions will increase mission efficiency and safety of the C-Shield platform, while reducing the required operator effort.