NavySim: A Multi-Vessel Simulation and Analysis Engine for Naval Domains

In this paper, we focus on the field of maritime simulation games, also known as serious games or simulators, which serve as a vital tool for maritime education and training. These simulations offer a controlled and risk-free platform to mimic real-world situations, thereby aiding seafarers in learning essential skills such as ship maneuverability, collision prevention, and understanding other naval agents’ intentions. We present an implementation of a Unity-based naval simulator that enables the development of complex, multi-vessel navigation scenarios and provides multiple key capabilities relevant to the naval domain. First, the agent vessels are equipped with mathematical models to assess their capabilities and vulnerabilities. Second, a vulnerability heatmap is developed to illustrate the sensor and defense coverage of an agent or a group of agents. Third, a Closest Point of Approach (CPA) based action heatmap is developed to explore potential threats from the surrounding agents. Furthermore, these heatmaps are fused into a threat heatmap that encodes in real time an agent’s overall coverage and potential threats. In addition, vessel agents are equipped with Hidden Markov Model-based intent recognition models, to analyze the behavior of other agents around them. This paper describes the naval simulator with its capabilities and illustrates its main capabilities in various naval scenarios.

2024 IEEE Conference on Games (CoG)