A Comparison of Simulated Parallax and Single-Station Range Aids to Navigation
Abstract
An appropriately designed parallax (two-station) range allows a mariner to accurately determine a range line--the correct path to steer his vessel--at great distances. Less expensive alternatives to parallax ranges are desirable, and many ideas, principally single-station ranges, have been proposed. However, the mariners' abilities to establish range lines with them have not been measured. The present work has quantified the navigational sensitivity afforded by parallax ranges and three different types of single- station range display systems. The single-station ranges used (a) temporal characteristics, (b) spatial representation, or (c) color changes of signal to represent changes in lateral position. Range systems were simulated either opto- mechanically or on a high resolution computer display system. The mariners' ability to determine both lateral position in a channel and direction of motion across a channel was assessed psychophysically for each range system. Performance with single-station range systems was compared with that obtained with parallax ranges. This allowed us to evaluate the implications of replacing parallax ranges with single-station ranges.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 19, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA239525
Entities
People
- Kevin V. Laxar
- Marc B. Mandler
- S. M. Luria
Organizations
- Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory