Optimized solution for analyzing performance of a trainee on a ship simulator

Abstract

Simulator based training is a new developing area where in many industries, such as military, engineering, medicine etc. a class room simulation of real life practice is performed for those who are new to the subject, to learn and practice, so that minimal errors are made at the real life application. This kind of SBT is most effective with the use of the performance analyzing module, which is able to provide accurate information to both trainers and trainees, in order to define the training sessions. The purpose of this report is to provide details of a project which is being undertaken to create such a performance analysis module for a ship simulator. This project hopes to find the solution to solve one key problem area. That is to identify a way of analyzing the trainees actions/performance against the maneuvering undertaken in a ship simulator and display the final result, so that both trainee and trainer can see how well the trainee has performed. This will also in turn help both parties decide on the progression of the training. The scope of the project defined will include requirement gathering of the ship simulator taken for testing in this project, which is the ‘Vidusayura’ Ship Simulator. It also covers, research done in use of open source systems which can be used to find the solution for this problem and integration of a LMS system which allows both trainees and trainers login and see the display of the results of training undertaken/conducted. As this project addresses a new initiative for this particular ship simulator, majority of time has been taken for research of similar systems, literature review of similar SBT study, research and testing of appropriate open source chart generating tools as well as other open source tools available that can enhance and improve the analysis and performance measurement of data. Upon selection of the appropriate tool, further testing with sample data were done in order to provide the most optimized solution for measuring performance which was successful.