ABSTRACT
Automation in the deck department began with the development of the radar, and has progressed to radar enhanced with automated radar plotting aids (ARPA). Many of the prevention strategies proposed to ensure correct ARPA initialization will likely apply to other forms of maritime automation, particularly that which acts as perceptual augmentation. Many modern ships have adopted elements of this automation. As automation has eliminated many routine tasks, mariners have been transformed into shipboard managers, responsible for coordinating multiple automatic systems. In many ways, the automation-induced changes in the maritime industry parallel changes in other domains, such as process control, aviation, operating rooms, and manufacturing systems. Just as automation in the maritime domain promises increased safety and efficiency, automation in other domains has made similar claims. The distinctions between perceptual augmentation and control integration can help identify design and training implications of different classes of maritime automation. A wide variety of automation exists in the maritime environment.
