Your friendly and communicative MASS: interaction design between autonomous and manned vessels

Abstract

Mathematical interpretations of COLREGS and seamanship will be a challenge for the new field of autonomous ship research. How can we design MASS behaviour that will not only be safe, but also natural and understandable for humans on conventional ships, fishing boats and small leisure crafts? Artificial intelligence has the potential to handle very complex scenarios and extrapolate them further into the future than the human brain. The risk is that this might lead to MASS manoeuvring in ways that are counterintuitive to mariners on conventional ships. To prevent this, MASS behaviour must be designed in a transparent manner focusing on clarity. This concept paper will discuss interaction design and suggest practical solutions to this problem. Suggestions will be made how to improve automation transparency using electronic but also visual and regulatory means.