E-Guard: Expediting Submarine Escape Time Calculations

Abstract

When faced with a distressed submarine (DISSUB) scenario, Sailors rely on the DISSUB Guard Book to make decisions about whether to await rescue or attempt an escape. Unfortunately, a 2020 preliminary research study demonstrated that performance on Guard Book-required calculations is poor, with only about 50 of individuals arriving at the correct answer. The current study tests whether an electronic version of the Guard Book (E-Guard) may help Sailors overcome some of these calculation errors. Forty-five active-duty submariners completed escape time calculations using either the paper Guard Book or the E-Guard; calculations were conducted both in an unstressed, laboratory environment, and in a classroom immediately upon completion of an emergency training simulation in the Damage Control trainer. Submariners were significantly more accurate and completed the calculations significantly faster when using the tablet-based E-Guard compared to when using the traditional paper version of the Guard Book. Recommendations for how to improve performance on both paper Guard Book and E-Guard platforms are provided.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 14, 2024
Accession Number
AD1228050

Entities

People

  • Brandon Casper
  • Emily Moslener
  • Jeffrey Bolkhovsky
  • Krystina Diaz
  • Sarah Chabal

Organizations

  • Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory

Tags

Readers

  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Maritime Security/Maritime Homeland Security
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Microelectronics - Microelectromechanical Systems