Advanced Navigation Team Shipboard Simulation (ANTS2) is an immersive training system for the navigation team. Safe navigation of naval vessels requires team skills that must be trained and rehearsed routinely. Negative training is unacceptable, and recent ship collisions have highlighted the need for better navigation training and team communication.

ANTS2 aims to keep the bridge team in their own environment, while providing a virtual, but realistic training scenario. In order to do this, it utilizes Augmented Reality headsets, mobile computing environments, object trackers and markers for integrated visual reporting, Raspberry Pis to integrate shipboard controls, real-time data analytics, and a wireless network for safety and freedom of movement.

Each bridge team station provides the student with the proper tools to train in their position, with the end-goal of allowing them to use their own instruments within an augmented training scenario.

Training Systems Division

ADVANCED NAVIGATION TEAM SHIPBOARD SIMULATION (ANTS2)A team trainer aimed to better integrate the bridge team into Fleet Synthetic Training for Live, Virtual, Constructive training and provide a more realistic training environment with correctly integrated sensors for radar, voice, and visual reporting.

ANTS

2

Safe navigation of naval vessels requires team skills that must

be trained and rehearsed routinely.

2019

Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division /// www.navair.navy.mil/nawctsdDistribution Statement A – Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

MULTI-USER IMMERSIVE TRAINING SCENARIOS• Helm sailor is able to change the speed

and rudder angle of the ship using a physical helm.

• Virtual dials are placed in the scene using an arUco marker trigger.

• Multiple sailors are able to communicate and work together in one integrated freedom of navigation scenario.

• OOD, QMOW, and Aft Lookout use binoculars to spot and report enemy ships to the rest of the crew.

ANTS2

ANTS2 uses the Navy Training Baseline (NTB) simulation system Joint Semi-Automated Forces (JSAF) to act as the scenario generator. JSAF contains and generates HLA entities, environmental objects, and terrain which is overlaid over the bridge windows (see Figure 1). The overlay is rendered in Unity3D.

MENTOR STATIONThe mentor aspect of ANTS2 is an architectural framework that provides real-time monitoring and computer assisted analytics. The Mentor Station performs data mining of multiple streams of disparate information to collect ground truth, performance, and underlying meta-data, which is then displayed for evaluation and training performance feedback. Other live visualizations include:

• The students’ headset views, rendered using Real-Time Messaging Protocol

• A bird’s eye view of the overall scenario

• A color-coded event log that includes alerts, collision alarm, ships whistle, and contact reports

• An automated navigation maneuvering board

• Audio data visualizations

Mentor Station Display

FIGURE 1: On the left is the bridge without overlay, on the right is the bridge with overlay.

For further information on this exhibit, or on business opportunities with NAWCTSD, please contact our Business Support Team by telephone at (407) 380-4903, by e-mail at orlo_businesssupportteam@navy.mil, or by mail at Business Support Team, NAWCTSD, 12211 Science Drive, Orlando, FL 32826.