Perspective on the Marine Simulator for Autonomous Vessel Development

TL;DR

This paper discusses the development of maritime autonomous surface ship simulators, focusing on hull dynamic models, selection guidelines, and essential functional requirements for future MASS development.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive discussion on hull modeling, selection criteria, and functional needs for simulators in autonomous maritime vessel research.

Findings

Guidelines for selecting hull dynamic models

Importance of simulator functional requirements

Future-oriented model considerations

Abstract

There is a growing demand for simulators for the research and development of maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS) and the approval of autonomous navigation algorithms. Simulators are used for purposes such as evaluation and training and are taken on various configurations accordingly. The ship maneuvering mathematical model used in such a simulator is an important element that characterizes the simulator. In this paper, we discuss the dynamic model of the hull and its position in the simulator that will be required for MASSs in the future. It also discusses guidelines for selecting an appropriate model, which has not been discussed extensively in previous studies. Finally, we discuss the functional requirements that simulators should have.