Simulation Augmented Manoeuvring Design and Monitoring – a New Method for Advanced Ship Handling

A fast time simulation tool box is under development to simulate the ships motion with complex dynamic models and to display the ships track immediately for the intended or actual rudder or engine manoeuvre. Based on this approach the innovative “Simulation Augmented Manoeuvring Design and Monitoring” - SAMMON tool box will allow for (a) a new type of design of a manoeuvring plan as enhancement exceeding the common pure way point planning (b) an unmatched monitoring of ship handling processes to follow the underlying manoeuvring plan. During the manoeuvring process the planned manoeuvres can be constantly displayed together with the actual ship motion and the predicted future track which is based on actual input data from the ship’s sensors and manoeuvring handle positions. This SAMMON tool box is intended be used on board of real ships but it is in parallel an effective tool for training in ship handling simulators: (a) in the briefing for preparing a manoeuvring plan for the whole exercise in some minutes, (b) during the exercise run to see the consequences of the use of manoeuvring equipment even before the ship has changed her motion and (c) in debriefing sessions to discuss potential alternatives of the students decisions by simulating fast variations of their choices during the exercises. Examples will be given for results from test trials on board and in the full mission ship handling simulator of the Maritime Simulation Centre Warnemuende.