The use of Eye Tracking Technology in Maritime High-Speed Craft Navigation

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Control of position sensor input to Ecdis on high speed craft

Project thesis submitted in part fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Position and Navigation Technology at The University of NottinghamBy 2018 all larger ships are to be equipped with Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS). The paradigm shift from paper charts to electronic charts has been a technological leap for mariners, and the Integrated Navigation Systems (INS) are getting more and more complex. This leads to new challenges for the navigators of today. Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) such as GPS are the primary position sensor input for ECDIS, and it has since its early beginning in the middle of the 1990s been very reliable. National and worldwide statistics show that there has been a slight increase in navigational accidents since the introduction of ECDIS, but the reasons for this is not clear. In the literature review it is laid down that position sensors have its potential fault, and GNSS and its augmentation systems is described to better understand its advantageous and limitations. Control of ECDIS with position control methods are explored, and divided into two methods of control: Visual- and Conventional methods. Through field work, simulator tests and interviews the findings are clear. The navigators of today rely too much upon their primary position sensor which normally is a GNSS such as GPS. A questionnaire reveals that the navigators have insufficient deeper system knowledge of the navigation aids in use. This can lead to a potentially serious accident with loss of lives and large environmental damage. To achieve safe navigation it is important to continuously conduct control of primary position sensor input to ECDIS with a secondary position sensor by visual- and/or conventional control methods. The advantages and limitations with the different methods of control are discussed. Position sensors such as GNSS can fail, and navigators of today and tomorrow need to monitor the position sensor input to ECDIS with other means than GNSS

Maritime usability study by analysing Eye Tracking data

The aim of the Integrated Navigation System (INS) on a ship bridge should be to provide the navigator with added value and aid in the complex task of conducting a safe and efficient passage in high speeds in demanding waters. This article presents a method for analysing eye tracking data to reveal sub-optimal design in the bridge layout and in the software graphical user interface on a maritime navigation display. The analysis of eye tracking data with focus on scan path events indicates sub-optimal design, and the paper provides suggestions for improvement in design and interface. Pros and cons of using Eye Tracking Glasses in a maritime environment is presented. The importance of not affecting the normal behaviour of the navigator by collecting data is stressed, and also how the software should provide good visualisation and interpretation of the eye tracking data

Scan Pattern for the Maritime Navigator

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A socio-technical perspective on the future Vessel Traffic Services

Autonomy is expected to cause significant changes to the Maritime Traffic System (MTS). The Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) is a control system in the MTS and will be affected by new interactions caused by autonomy. The paper proposes a proactive approach in discussing the future VTS. The paper renders the historical development of socio-technical systems theory and argues for systemic evaluation of internal and external consequences of changes in the design of the future VTS. A democratic process to involve people from the various levels of the VTS organisation with different competencies is suggested. To evaluate the consequences of change, a systemic internal and external approach is suggested. For discussing internal consequences, a levelled socio-technical systems model is adapted and applied. External consequences are suggested to be discussed by applying design principles of system-of-systems to understand the interplay between VTS and the MTS

An Attack on an Integrated Navigation System

Maritime cyber security is emerging as a field as reports of cyber attacks against computerized maritime systems have started arriving. Modern vessels are equipped with computerized systems for navigation employing the Global Positioning System (GPS), known as Integrated Navigation Systems (INS) and Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS). This paper describes a proof-of-concept attack on an INS and its integrated ECDIS, and reports on a demonstration of the attack on a vessel. The attack includes malware that acts as a man-in-the-middle intercepting and manipulating GPS coordinates. Furthermore, the paper discusses the feasibility of the attack, as well as countermeasures

Understanding the Eye of the Navigator

The daily job of the navigator has changed significantly with the introduction of electronic navigation and integrated navigation systems. The navigator has progressed from using most of his time to find and fix the position, to understand and control complex system design to increase situation awareness and facilitate safe navigation for the officer of the watch. This article presents Eye Tracking data that has been collected on board the world’s fastest littoral combat ship, compared with similar datasets collected in a bridge navigation simulator. The data has been analyzed to determine how we better can use maritime navigation simulators and develop bridge design and general user interface to ease the burden of the navigator

Trial application of pupillometry for a maritime usability study in field conditions

Eye-tracking is a tool employed in usability testing. It is primarily intended as a means for tracking the visual attention patterns of an observer on a continuous basis. Eye-tracking can also capture certain physiological data, such as pupil dilation. Pupil diameter is a validated metric of cognitive workload, meaning the pupil dilates with increasing workload. This research evaluates the fitness, in field conditions, of an eye-tracking based method for accurate measurement of cognitive workload. This implies evaluating the fitness of this tool in changing light conditions such as in coastal navigation. This methodology thus accounts for the effect of light on pupil dilation. This means we are able to account for the effect of only cognitive workload on the pupil dilation even in changing light conditions. This method was applied as a part of an analysis of a navigational exercise involving the navigator and the navigator’s assistant on board a training vessel of the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy. Pupillometry is used alongside egocentric video recordings and Geo-positioning systems (GPS) recordings to allow for multi-faceted evaluation of the activity. Subjective data was recorded as well to evaluate the quality of the eye-tracking data. Subjective data was recorded using NASA-TLX self-report of mental workload, self-report of mental workload (on three levels) using maps and an expert assessment of the mental workload was obtained for the navigational course. The analysis concluded that pupillometry (through eye-trackers) can have a substantial role in the evaluation of field operations and provide a good and objective estimate of the perceived workload. The eye-tracking technology has substantial limitations, for example sometimes strong infra-red sources of light can impede data collection as such with an eye-tracker, meaning the analysis is labour intensive as it relies on the ability of the operator to filter out low quality data and retain the rest

A review of augmented reality applications for ship bridges

We present a state-of-the art analysis of Augmented Reality (AR) applications for ship bridge operation. We compiled and reviewed what type of use cases were published, what type of maritime applications have been adapted to AR, how they were prototyped and evaluated and what type of technology was used. We also reviewed the user interaction mechanisms, information display and adaptation to maritime environmental conditions. Our analysis shows that although there are many examples of AR applications in ship bridges, there is still much work that needs to be done before these solutions can be suitably adapted to commercial settings. In addition, we argue there is a need to develop design requirements and regulations that can guide the safe development of AR

Developing a High-Speed Craft Route Monitor Window

High-speed navigation in littoral waters is an advanced maritime operation. Reliable, timely and consistent data provided by the integrated navigation systems increases safe navigation. The workload of the navigator is high, together with the interaction between the navigator and the navigation system. Information from the graphical user interface in bridge displays must facilitate the demands for the high-speed navigator, and this article presents how eye tracking data was used to identify user requirements which in combination with a human-centred design process led to the development of an improved software application on essential navigation equipment.The Royal Norwegian Nav