Ship Bridge Research Articles

Model-based Adaptive Bridge Design in the Maritime Domain. The CASCADe Project

CASCADe is a European project aiming at designing advanced adaptive ship bridges, using model-based approaches and simulations. The models are used for capturing and simulating the seafarers’ tasks and their information and situation awareness needs, through the use of cognitive seafarers’ models; for studying and designing their physical interaction with console equipment, including controls and displays, through sophisticated anthropometric 3D models; and finally for designing and manufacturing the physical bridge itself (console, workstation, furniture).

Operative and procedural cooperative training in marine ports

This article faces the problem of operative and procedural cooperative training in marine ports with particular attention to harbour pilots and port traffic controller. The design and development of an advanced system, equipped with dedicated hardware in the loop, for cooperative training of operators involved in the last mile of navigation is presented. Indeed, the article describes the software and hardware development of a distributed and interoperable system composed by two simulators (the bridge ship simulator and control tower simulator). Multiple problems are faced and solved including (i) the motion of the ship at sea that is based on a 6 Degree Of Freedom (DOF) model for surge, sway and yaw and closed form expressions for pitch, roll and heave and its validation; (ii) the development of the 3D geometric models and related virtual environments of a real marine port and vessel (to provide the trainees with the sensation to experience a real port and ship environment); (iii) the design of a bridge ship replica, the bridge hardware integration and the design of the visualization system; (iv) the design and development of the control tower simulator; (v) the integration of the bridge ship simulator and control tower simulator through the IEEE 1516 High Level Architecture standard for distributed simulation.

A Comprehensive Experimental Practice for Ship Bridge Resource Management Training Based on Ship Handling Simulator

There is short in the number of large ship handling simulator and it has high failure in BRM training. They could not remain for a long time in the laboratory for teachers qualified with captain and highly educated full-time laboratory personnel. Marine institutions begin to carry out practical teaching reform for these problems, which make people to work hand with policy support and scientific and rational evaluation mechanisms, innovative training teaching methods and establish an objective assessment criteria. By BRM training students enhance the ship's emergency response, role awareness and situational awareness, which have important practical significance to enhance navigational safety and strengthen risk awareness.

AIS 에러 데이터 관리기법에 대한 연구

The domestic maritime environment shows higher frequency of maritime accidents amidst greater traffic volume arising from increasing international seaborne trade and maritime leisure activities. To reduce such maritime accidents, there exist various kinds of safety navigation devices in the ship bridge aimed to mitigate burdens of navigators and support their accurate decision making. Amongst is the AIS considered very important, which is an automatic tracking system to assist understanding of the circumstances in the vicinity by receiving information of other ships and also sending its own; where the information contains errors initially, however, such wrong information is periodically transmitted, accordingly giving rise to hindrance sometimes in decision making by shore operators or ship navigators at sea. This study is to propose the error data and field management algorithm using fuzzy theory toward improving reliability and accuracy in ship related information received from AIS.

Fatigue Crack Growth Rate in Laser-Welded Web Core Sandwich Panels - Fatigue Crack Propagation in Welded Base Metal

The all-metal web-core sandwich structure consists of two face plates stiffened by one-directional system of web plates. These web core sandwich structures are used in many structural applications such as ship hulls, offshore platforms, bridge decks, and industrial platforms. However, the stress variation caused by the service loadings can be a determinant factor for crack initiation and growth until early failure of the entire structure. This paper presents an experimental study on fatigue crack growth rate in base material from a face plate after rolling and welding. The study is focused on the analysis of the stress ratio and crack closure effect on the fatigue crack growth rate in two directions. There is a significant stress ratio effect on fatigue crack growth rate, much more pronounced in the case of crack propagation in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse propagation. For all tests, the crack closure effect is more pronounced at low stress intensity factor range (in the threshold domain).

Numerical analysis of ship–bridge collision's influences on the running safety of moving rail train

This paper investigates the ship–bridge collision process and its influences on the running safety of the moving light rail train. Taking a long span cable-stayed bridge across the Huangpu River as example, the 3-D dynamic model of train-bridge coupled system subjected to ship impact was studied with the aid of the finite element analysis (FEA) code LS-DYNA 971. The bridge model and the coupled rigid–flexible multi-body train model were coupled through non-linear wheel–rail interface, and the coupled dynamic model was solved using mixed time explicit integration approach. By studying the effects of train speed and the momentum of impacting ship on the running safety of the rail train, the relationship between the maximum safety speed of the train and the momentum of the impacting ship is predicted, that is, the maximum allowable train speed decreases with the increase of the momentum of the impacting ship. The mixed time integration method could speed up the calculation process for crashworthiness analysis with great differences in element sizes at different parts of model.

Accidental exposure to electromagnetic fields from the radar of a naval ship: a descriptive study

Part of a crew on a Norwegian naval ship was exposed to the radar waves for approximately 7 min from an American destroyer during an incident at sea in August 2012. Information about the exposure was not given by the navy. This is a description of what happened with the crew on board after this event. 14 persons had been on the ship bridge or outside on the deck during the exposure and the rest of the crew had been inside the ship. 27 persons were examined at a hospital 6-8 months after the event, as they had developeda large number of symptoms from different organ systems. They were very worried about all types of possible adverse health effects due to the incident. All were examined by an occupational physician and anophthalmologist, by an interview, clinical examinations and blood tests at the hospital. The interview of the personnel revealed that they had not experienced any major heating during the episode. Their symptoms developed days or weeks after the radar exposure. They had no objective signs of adverse health effects at the examination related to the incident. Long-term health effect from the exposure is highly unlikely. The development of different symptoms after the incident was probably due to the fear of possible health consequences. Better routines for such incidents at sea should be developed to avoid this type of anxiety.

ヒューマンファクターに基づいた海難要因分析に関する研究 : 操船シミュレータによる検証実験

ヒューマンファクターに基づいた海難要因分析に関する研究 : 操船シミュレータによる検証実験

顔面皮膚温によるブリッジチーム員の心的負荷評価 : 操船者と操舵手の同時測定

Physiological indices are useful for evaluating a mental workload of ship bridge teammates; a captain, a duty officer, a helmsman, and a pilot. We have confirmed the effects of heart rate variability, facial temperature, and saliva amylase. The safe navigation keeps with bridge team works, and to evaluate the mental workload of bridge teammates simultaneously is important. But it was only using heart rate variability, and facial temperature and saliva amylase do not try yet. The facial temperature is best index in simulator training because a subject dose not needs to wear any sensor. In this paper, we propose the facial temperature evaluate the bridge teammates' mental workload well.

An Ergonomic Approach for Optimized Layout of Training Ship's Bridge

To propose an ergonomic layout on the bridge, this study conducted a usability evaluation on the on-bridge navigational equipment of a college training ship that is in use at present. Through the usability evaluation on the training ship navigators, the possibility of operational errors with navigational equipment, the possibility of readout errors with display devices and even the effect of navigational equipment on navigation were evaluated beyond the scope of existing layouts, which adopt only the importance and usage frequency of navigational equipment. By taking ergonomic variables into consideration, this study suggested an optimized layout for on-bridge navigational equipment using a mathematical programming model.

Correction Model of Ship Bridge Collision in Navigable Waterways of Fujian Province

The AASHTO Correction model is proposed to better adapt the model to the special conditions occurring in Fujian inland waterways. These conditions include ship Type, visibility, and up-down water, navigation systems. The proposed model is related to the probability of ship collision with bridge multi-factor, and further example analysis of this model is also introduced in this paper.

수리모형을 이용한 선박 항해기기 패널의 인간공학적 배치

When designing a ship, ergonomic considerations are crucial when minimizing a navigator's fatigue due to the burden of work, and to appropriately operate the navigational equipment for each given situation by helping the operator to understand the surroundings as well as the physical functions of the ship. However, insufficient consideration of ergonomic elements in the actual design of ship Bridges is lowering the performance of safe navigation and allows for the possibility of operation or readout errors. Consequently, these errors lead to an increase in maritime accidents. Therefore, this study conducted a usability evaluation on the importance of and the usage frequency of navigational equipment, their influence on actual navigation, and the possibility of error upon operation or readout between training ship officers, to derive an optimized layout that includes the consideration of ergonomic factors for on-Bridge navigational equipment, which are currently arranged differently according to their type or size. The optimized layout of on-Bridge navigational equipment was carried out based on the evaluation results, using the Lingo program. Through the process of optimization, revised layouts of on-Bridge navigational equipments(control and display device) were suggested, considering emergency situations(ship collision, stranding, fire and explosion, sinking, etc.) during navigation.

Evaluation of Teamwork for Simulator Training Based on Heart Rate Variability: Case Study of A Cadet of Ship Navigator

Abstract Mental workload is useful for evaluating a performance of ship navigator- a captain, a duty officer, and a pilot. The heart rate variability (R-R interval), nasal temperature and salivary amylase predict well based on pre-experiments; however, most of research tests a professional skill. The evaluation does not test a cadet yet. Moreover, the teamwork evaluation is not yet also. In this paper, we measure cadets’ R-R interval while they guide a ship from narrow channel to open sea in New York, and evaluate their teamwork based on R-R interval for simulator training. The experiment is carried out using a ship bridge simulator, not a real ship. We show R-R interval is a good index for evaluating the teamwork for simulator training in ship navigation.

Optimization of Ships’ Diagonal Ballast Water Exchange Sequence Using a Multiobjective Genetic Algorithm

Ballast water management and the method chosen to achieve it is a key issue and concerns key technologies in ship design. If the sequential exchange method is the chosen method, the sequence chosen to perform the exchange is very important and affects many aspects including ships' stability, structural strength, maneuverability, operational expenses and building cost, and so forth. In this paper, based on the multiple risk assessment criteria of the sequential method, the problem of finding a feasible and optimum exchange sequence is boiled down to a multiobjective combinatorial optimization problem with multiple nonlinear constraints. The diagonal exchange strategy was adopted, and the diagonal exchange mathematical model was built, taking into consideration the ship's intact stability, structural strength, trims, draughts, and bridge vision. In order to find a set of Pareto solutions, a multiobjective genetic algorithm (MOGA) was used. In the algorithm, a constraint-domination principle was adopted to handle the multiple constraints, and a nondominated sorting method was used to perform the selection of the Pareto solutions. Using the proposed mathematic model and the MOGA, a Pareto solution set that met all the design criteria could be efficiently and accurately obtained for the engineers to choose from within short running times. Compared with the traditional symmetrical exchanging method, the simulation results showed that the proposed method can produce more and better solutions with smaller trims, smaller bridge blind vision range, and better structural strength performances.

Agent controlled Information Exchange for Integrated Ship's Bridge Systems

The progress of the standardising process in Integrated Navigation Systems and Integrated Bridge Systems established by the IMO enhanced the harmonising of the electronically devices. The information overflow reduction is one of the expected results. The more of installed bridge sub systems allows the displaying of additional navigational information by the HMI. In consequence the process adequate information selection is an essential and necessary task in ship's bridge automation. The following paper describes a data fusion oriented approach for information handling on integrated ship's bridge systems using agents. A JDL data fusion model was used for the ship navigational data handling. First experiments supported by data from a Voyage Data Recorder, extern knowledge data bases and various defined information layers will be discussed. The goal of the investigation was the information relevance evaluation in the navigational process current circumstances.

선교내에서 청각경보음의 유형이 반응속도와 정확성에 미치는 영향

The effects of different auditory warnings on response time and accuracy were studied in a laboratory ship-bridge work environment. Subjective preference on the type of auditory warnings was also of a primary concern. Twenty five subjects were asked to select an appropriate button for the warning sound presented with three types of auditory warning (abstract sound, auditory icon, and voice alarm) and five levels of warning situation (fire, steering failure, collision, engine failure, and low power). Results showed that the response time and accuracy was significantly affected by the types of auditory warning. The voice alarm resulted in a higher accuracy and subjective preference, as compared to the auditory icon and abstract sound. Regarding the response time, auditory icons and voice alarms were equivalent and superior to abstract sounds. Actual or potential applications of this research include guidelines for the design of integrated ship bridge systems.

Complexity assessment of human–computer interaction

A quantitative complexity theory of human–computer interaction is presented and validated by means of laboratory experiments. Based on the seminal work of Grassberger in theoretical physics, a complexity measure is introduced. The measure is termed the Effective Measure Complexity and has three main advantages. First, it relies solely on information-theoretic quantities, which are intimately connected with the concept of complexity and not randomness. Second, it is model independent and can be estimated efficiently from data. Third, the estimates can be derived from behavioural patterns in terms of observable interaction events alone. Subjective ratings or psychophysiological measurements can be included but are not mandatory. In order to explain the theory, a simple and easy to generalise example in mobile human–computer interaction is presented. Furthermore, the external validity of the complexity measure is studied in laboratory experiments. The experimental task was to search for multiple targets on an electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS). ECDIS is an integral component of modern ship bridge concepts and therefore the experiments were carried out in a marine simulator. Thirty users participated. The platform motion (with or without motion) and the workplace illumination (800 lux or 30 lux) were varied systematically and the complexity effects were studied. The results show that the complexity of the visual search processes is significantly lower when the simulator is put in sea state characteristics and the users are facing straining motion forces. In addition, interaction complexity is significantly lowered when illuminance is reduced from the daylight level of 800 lux to the twilight level of 30 lux. Therefore, the complexity measure seems to be a valid for the quantitative assessment of human–computer interaction.

Toward Evaluation of a Student's Simulator Training Using Heart Rate Variability

AbstractMental workload is useful for evaluating the performance of a ship's navigator and a bridge teammate: a captain, a duty officer, a helmsman, or a pilot. The heart rate variability, the nasal temperature, and the salivary amylase activity predict performance well based on pre‐experiments. However, most of the research was carried out for a professional's skill. A student's skill has not been evaluated yet. In this work, we evaluate a student's heart rate variability (R–R interval) as he guides a ship from a narrow channel to an open sea for a simulator training, and consider simulator training effects. The experiment was carried out using a ship bridge simulator, not a real ship. We show that the R–R interval is a good index for the evaluation of the simulator training. Copyright © 2010 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Basic Study of Body Sway in Artificial Ship Rolling and Pitching by Visual and Motion Platform -Toward Efficient Simulator-Based Training-

A navigator guides a ship for safe and efficient navigation, and s/he gets navigational information through the five senses. Visual information is most important because it is said to occupy more than eighty percents to whole information. We are researching the relationship between the visual image of seascape and the physiological/body response using ship bridge simulator, which is used to train and educate ship handling and how to handle a navigational instrument. The simulator-based training is popular worldwide. The simulator is able to control the traffic situation and to do the same scenarios for trainees. On the merchant ship simulator-based training, the ship movements- rolling, pitching, yawing, etc., never simulate by visual or motion platform. However, the ship movement is an important factor for the simulator-based training, and we need to confirm the influence of body and mental workload for the simulated ship movements. The purpose of this paper is to find characteristics of body response to artificial ship movements by visual and motion platform. The result shows characteristics of body response to artificial rolling and pitching by visual and motion platform differ.

Systemic assessment of the effect of mental stress and strain on performance in a maritime ship-handling simulator

Two studies will be presented as part of a systemic approach for assessing performance in nautical simulators. A mixed-methods quasi-experimental field study (N=6) was conducted, aiming at discerning the systemic causes behind nautical students’ human errors during simulator exercises and to what extent these causes can be related to the layout of a new decision supporting display. Results indicate that all errors occur under the same kind of (demanding) man-machine interaction. Based on this, design requirements were proposed. The second study aims at exploring the impact of situation-related affective arousal on system safety. Anger- and frustration-like situations will be generated and the possible impact of these affect-laden situations on the risk- and error-related performance of simulator ship bridge crews assessed. The studies address different aspects of performance in complex environments and their modularity towards each other will be highlighted in the context of an overall systemic perspective.