Implementation and Assessment of a Low Cost Shipboard Bridge Team Training Simulator Using Virtual Reality Technology

Robert Quinn and Austin McGuire

Abstract:	The United States Coast Guard maintains an effective yet costly, full mission shipboard bridge simulator at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT. This simulator has served to develop and hone the navigational skills of Academy cadets and sea going officers for a number of years. In November 1994, the Coast Guard Office of Law Enforcement and Defense Operations sponsored a cadet research project to evaluate the potential training benefit of implementing a shipboard bridge simulator using low cost Virtual Reality (VR) development software and a collection of standard personal computers. As part of a senior design course, a group of cadets worked to develop a prototype system known as the Virtual Reality Bridge Simulator in an effort to address this issue. The prototype was developed using a low cost VR development package running under the DOS operating system and three Pentium based personal computers. The Virtual Reality Bridge Simulator was designed to support four members of a bridge team: Officer of the Deck (OOD), helmsman, navigational plotter, and radar operator. The system was tested and evaluated by cadet trainees and faculty members from the Academy’s Professional Studies Department and the Coast Guard’s Command and Operations School. Feedback has indicated that the prototype system is capable of providing training to novice bridge teams but lacks the fidelity and functionality required to train more advanced concepts. These results have sparked an interest in further research using a more powerful development package. The project was an excellent educational experience for the students involved. Development and evaluation will continue throughout the spring semester of 1996.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 1996 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation January 22 - 24, 1996 Loews Santa Monica Hotel Santa Monica, CA
Pages:	407 - 411
Cite this article:	Quinn, Robert, McGuire, Austin, "Implementation and Assessment of a Low Cost Shipboard Bridge Team Training Simulator Using Virtual Reality Technology," Proceedings of the 1996 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, Santa Monica, CA, January 1996, pp. 407-411.
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