The tracking filter plays a key role in accurate estimation and prediction of maneuvering the vessel’s position and velocity. Different methods are used for tracking. However, the most commonly used method is the Kalman filter and its modifications. The α- β - γ filter is one of the special cases of the general solution provided by the Kalman filter. It is a third order filter that computes the smoothed estimates of position, velocity, and acceleration for the nth observation, and predicts the next position and velocity. Although found to track a maneuvering target with good accuracy than the constant velocity α - β filter, the α - β - γ filter does not perform impressively under high maneuvers, such as when the target is undergoing changing accelerations. This study aims to track a highly maneuvering target experiencing jerky motions due to changing accelerations. The α - β - γ filter is extended to include the fourth state that is, constant jerk to correct the sudden change of acceleration to improve the filter’s performance. Results obtained from simulations of the input model of the target dynamics under consideration indicate an improvement in performance of the jerky model, α - β - γ - η algorithm as compared to the constant acceleration model, α - β - γ in terms of error reduction and stability of the filter during target maneuver.

“Tracking” here refers to the estimation of a moving object with some degree of accuracy where at least one measurement is given. The measurement, which is the sensor-obtained output, contains systemic errors and errors that are due to the surrounding environment. Tracking filters play the key role of the target-state estimation after the updating of the tracking system; therefore, the type of filter that is used for the conduction of the estimations is crucial in the determining of the reliability of the updated value, and this is especially true since the performances of different filters vary when they are subjected to different environmental and initial conditions. The purpose of this paper is the conduction of a comparison between the performances of the α-β-γ filter and the Kalman filter regarding an ARPA-system tracking module that is used on board high-dynamic warships. The comparison is based on the capability of each filter to reduce noise and maintain a stable response. The residual error is computed from the difference between the true and predicted positions and the true and estimated positions for the given sample. The results indicate that the tracking accuracy of the Kalman filter is higher compared with that of the optimal α-β-γ filter; however, the response of the optimal α-β-γ filter is more stable.

The tracking filter plays a key role in the accurate estimation and prediction of maneuvering a vessel’s position and velocity when attempting to enhance safety by avoiding collision. Therefore, in order to achieve accurate estimation and prediction, many oceangoing vessels are equipped with the Automatic Radar Plotting Aid (ARPA) system. However, the accuracy of prediction depends on the tracking filter’s ability to reduce noise and maintain a stable transient response. The purpose of this paper is to derive the optimal values of the gain parameters used in tracking a High Dynamic Warship. The algorithm employs a α-β-γ filter to provide accurate estimates and updates of the state variables, that is, positions, velocity and acceleration of the high dynamic warship based on previously observed values. In this study, the filtering coefficients α, β and γ are determined from set values of the damping parameter, ξ. Optimization of the damping parameter, ξ, is achieved experimentally by plotting the residual error against different values of the damping parameter to determine the least value of the damping parameter that results in the optimum smoothing coefficients leading to a reduction in the noise corruption effect. Further investigation of the performance of the filter indicates that optimal smoothing coefficients depend on the initial and average velocity of the target.

The maritime industry is expanding at an alarming rate hence there is a perpetual need to improve situation awareness in the maritime environment using new and emerging technology. Tracking is one of the numerous ways of enhancing situation awareness by providing information that may be useful to the operator. The tracking module designed herein comprises determining existing states of high dynamic target warship, state prediction and state compensation due to random noise. This is achieved by first analyzing the process of tracking followed by design of a tracking algorithm that uses α-β-γ tracking filter under a random noise. The algorithm involves initializing the state parameters which include position, velocity, acceleration and the course. This is then followed by state prediction at each time interval. A weighted difference of the observed and predicted state values at the nth observation is added to the predicted state to obtain the smoothed (filtered) state. This estimation is subsequently employed to determine the predicted state in the next radar scan. The filtering coefficients ,  and  are determined from a pre- determined value of the damping parameter, . The smoothed, predicted and the observed positions are used to compute the twice distance root mean square (2drms) error as a measure of the ability of the tracking module to manage the noise to acceptable levels.

This paper is to introduce the development of a LCD monitor-based pilots' ship handling simulator installed in the office of Korea Maritime Pilots Association. This simulator is composed of hardware which includes working server array, operation PC, monitor array, rudder, thruster and telegraph peripheral devices, and software which includes ship mathematical model software, ship conning software, image supporting software and so on. In this simulator, MMG mathematical model is used to create thirteen(13) ship models, which are based on sea trial data & pilots' opinion. According to requirements of pilots, virtual scenes of different port areas are built, and some required additional functions are also developed. By using this simulator, pilots can fulfill all kinds of training exercises, design of channel approaching ports, traffic safety analysis, prevention of accident research and other tasks, so as to grasp the characteristics of different ships, and accumulate experience for piloting.

The purpose of this study was to create a cyber-training & education program in response to the needs of skippers and crews operating tug-barges within Korean coastal waters and the rapid changers in this industry. Skippers and crews are inclined to operate tug-barges on the basis of experience rather than information. It is not easy to provide useful information whenever they want or to drill them in safety management skills, because of their passive attitude toward education and the few opportunities that exist. In order to increase educational opportunities, efficiency and motivation, the authors have developed this program which consists of a 'tug bridge resource management module, risk perception training module, accident case module, operating module and navigation module', and are hoping that this program will enhance and strengthen all tug-barge operations. We are also putting all our energies into designing up to date animation programs and developing new scenarios concerning the method of evaluation and certification distribution.

A new concept of ocean transport system, called mobile harbor, was introduced as a feasibility study in Korea in 2009. Target of the mobile harbor is a short distance transport of containers with or without cargo handling cranes. Although the mobile harbor project has a lot of topics to deal with, this paper is to focus on only ship-to-ship stabilized mooring, which plays a key role in cargo handling. The ship-to-ship stabilized mooring system was developed and installed on board a barge of LOA 32m and breadth 12m. The dockside tests as sea test were carried out so as to ascertain whether the systems can work well to control the barge’s motion. The results of dockside test showed that the heave motion of the barge's motion can be reduced by more than 45%.

The traffic of tug/barges which are carrying construction materials, large plants for harbor development, or offshore structures has recently increased in the coast of Korea. The west and south coast of Korea are always congested due to a lot of islands and traffic concentration. Specially tug/barges have higher probability of marine accidents due to their bad maneuverability than others. Considering the operational circumstance and maneuverability, this study was to develop a wide-area monitoring and control system for tug/barges in the coastal area of Korea. The system was made in the form of three program modules i.e. navigation analysis program module, monitoring and control program module, database module. And seven functions were programmed to monitor and control the tug/barges efficiently. These are ship information search, tug/barge information and track management, designated area and safe navigation zone management, fairway management, accident data management, warning of danger, safety information management.

The authors aim to establish the theory necessary for developing free gyro positioning system and focus on measuring the nadir angle by using the motion rate of a free gyro. The azimuth of a gyro vector from the North can be given by using the property of the free gyro. The motion rate of the spin axis in the gyro frame is transformed into the platform frame and again into the NED (north-east-down) navigation frame. The nadir angle of a gyro vector is obtained by using the North components of the motion rate of the spin axis in the NED frame. The component has to be transformed into the horizontal component of the gyro by using the azimuth of the gyro vector and then has to be integrated over the sampling interval.

The authors aim to establish the theory necessary for developing the free gyroscopic compass and focus on mainly two points. One is to suggest north-finding principle by the angular velocity of the earth's rotation, and the other is to suggest orthogonal coordinate transformations of the motion rate of the spin axis, which transforms the components of motion rate in the free gyro frame into those in the platform frame and that this transformed rate is, in turn, transformed into the NED(north-east-down) navigation frame. Subsequently, ship's heading is obtained by using the fore-aft and athwartship components of the motion rate of the spin axis in the NED frame. In addition it was found how to solve the transformation matrix necessary for transforming each frame.

This paper is to develop the position error equation of in the free-gyro positioning system by using two free gyros. First, the determination of a position is analyzed on the ellipsoid of the Earth and the type of the errors is defined Finally the position error equation is introduced and developed, based on the definition of the type of errors which may be involved in the FPS.

Evaluation of the quantitative risk of collision plays a key role in developing the expert system of navigation and collision avoidance. This study analysed thoroughly how to determine the threshold of avoidance sector as described in the new evaluation of collision risk, and suggested the collision risk obtained by the alteration of course and/or speed in order to pass clear qf each danger zone as the threshold of avoidance sector.

Evaluating the risk of collision quantitatively plays a key role in developing the expert system of navigation and collision avoidance. This study analysed thoroughly how to determine the threshold function related to the avoidance time as described in the new evaluation of collision risk using sech function, and developed the appropriate equation as applicable.