Development of a Support System for Situation Awareness and Decision of Beginner Navigators Using Voice Information

Marine accidents often result from errors in situation awareness (SA) among navigators. Despite the ongoing unmanned ship projects worldwide, the implementation of unmanned systems on many ships is expected to take a considerable amount of time. Therefore, the support technology for shipboard navigators and maritime autonomous surface ship's operators will continue to be crucial in the future. Additionally, to address the challenges posed by the shortage and aging of seafarers, supporting the SA of beginner navigators is essential. In this study, we propose a support system for enhancing the SA of beginner navigators using voice information. This system aims to encourage the gathering of information on target ships and, if necessary, prompt actions against target ships. The results of simulator experiments with cadets, using the Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed support system in enhancing SA and decision-making among beginner navigators through voice information. However, to enhance the practicality of the system, it is essential to adjust the timing, contents, and frequency of the voice information according to the skill levels of beginner navigators.