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Published on: August 26, 2018
Effects of navigation method on workload and performance in simulated high-speed ship navigation
Kristian S Gould1, Bjarte K Røed, Evelyn-Rose Saus
1Section for Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. kristian.gould@isf.uib.no
Applied Ergonomics
|February 26, 2008
Summary
Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) navigation improved ship course-keeping but reduced bridge communication. While subjective workload was similar, physiological measures suggested higher workload with conventional paper chart navigation.
Area of Science:
- Maritime safety and human factors research.
- Human-computer interaction in navigation systems.
- Physiological and cognitive workload assessment.
Background:
- High-speed ship navigation presents significant challenges to human operators.
- Traditional paper chart navigation may be less efficient than modern electronic systems.
- Assessing workload is crucial for understanding navigation performance and safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare mental workload and performance between ECDIS and paper chart navigation.
- To evaluate the impact of navigation systems on bridge communication.
- To investigate physiological indicators of workload during simulated high-speed navigation.
Main Methods:
- Simulated high-speed navigation task (50 nautical miles) with varying difficulty.
- Comparison of Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) versus paper charts.
- Objective performance metrics (course-keeping) and subjective workload ratings.
- Physiological measurements including heart rate variability and skin conductance.
Main Results:
- ECDIS navigation significantly enhanced course-keeping performance.
- Total bridge communication was reduced with ECDIS use.
- No significant differences in subjective mental workload were found between navigation methods.
- Physiological data suggested higher workload in conventional navigation, though not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
- ECDIS improves navigational accuracy in high-speed scenarios.
- The shift to ECDIS may alter communication dynamics on the bridge.
- Further research is needed to reconcile subjective and objective workload measures in electronic navigation.
