The Concept of Using the Decision-Robustness Function in Integrated Navigation Systems

Area of Science:

• Maritime Navigation and Positioning Systems
• Decision Support Systems
• Control Theory and Engineering

Background:

• The proliferation of diverse and non-uniform positioning systems in maritime navigation complicates system selection for watchkeeping officers, especially in confined waters.
• Integrated navigation systems can suffer from information overload, potentially hindering accurate self-positioning.
• Accurate positioning is critical for safe and efficient maritime operations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a mathematical framework for automated selection of appropriate positioning systems in maritime navigation.
• To introduce a decision-robustness function to mitigate the impact of erroneous navigation observations on self-positioning accuracy.
• To provide a tool that assists watchkeeping officers in choosing the optimal positioning system during voyages.

Main Methods:

• Development of a mathematical apparatus for a decision function (a priori object) with defined decision-assistance criteria.
• Implementation of a robustness function (a posteriori object) incorporating various attenuation functions.
• Creation of a computer application integrating both the decision and robustness functions into a decision-robustness framework.

Main Results:

• The proposed decision-robustness function effectively assists in selecting the most suitable positioning system.
• The method demonstrably reduces the influence of navigation observations with significant errors on self-positioning accuracy.
• A practical computer application was developed and validated through testing.

Conclusions:

• The decision-robustness function offers a viable solution for automating positioning system selection in maritime navigation.
• This approach enhances the reliability of self-positioning, particularly in challenging environments or with integrated systems.
• The developed tool has practical applicability and can improve watchkeeping officer decision-making.