Visual pattern recognition in navigation simulator interfaces: a method for automatic reconstruction of vessel motion parameters
Keywords:
Image recognition, navigation simulator, interface analysis, ship motion parameters, automated data collection, ship dynamics, bridge simulatorSynopsis
In this chapter, it is presented a method for automatically determining the navigation and control parameters of a vessel, which is based on reading the simulator screen without access to internal telemetry or system data. The presented approach considers the display of the simulator not only as an interaction tool for the operator, but also as a visual representation of the state of the internal model, because the navigation parameters are coded using graphic indicators that create a graphical user interface, which methodologically can be understood as a structured visual environment where stable areas correspond to certain parameters.
By automatically identifying these areas and interpreting their contents, the method determines synchronized time series that describe the vessel's movement. Once set up, the system can read numerical and graphical indicators and convert them into data sequences up to 10 Hz, allowing quantitative information on vessel movements to be obtained directly from the user interface image without software integration or access to internal modules.
The experimental validation was performed on a fully functional bridge simulator which user interface displays all navigation and engineering parameters, and its results showed that the most important navigation parameters can be reconstructed very reliably using only the interface image, while the reconstructed time series supports the correct sequence of events. The average absolute error is a maximum of 1° for the course and remains below 2% for propeller revolutions, which is sufficient for maneuver analysis and trajectory studies.
A key advantage of this approach is its independence from the internal architecture of specific simulation systems. This allows the method to be applied on various platforms, even where access to internal data is restricted or unavailable. The method is currently protected by two patent applications filed with the National Intellectual Property and Innovation Agency of Ukraine.
Overall, the results demonstrate that the visual interface of a navigation simulator can serve as an independent and universal data source for investigating ship dynamics and supporting experimental studies.
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155-175
Text Identifier of this Chapter
Chapter 6
Published
June 11, 2026
Copyright (c) 2026 Yevgeniy Kalinichenko, Oleksandr Koliesnik, Oleg Safyan
How to Cite
Kalinichenko, Y., Koliesnik, O., & Safyan, O. (2026). Visual pattern recognition in navigation simulator interfaces: a method for automatic reconstruction of vessel motion parameters. In V. Lukin, S. Kryvenko, F. Li, S. Abramov, V. Abramova, B. Kovalenko, I. Dohtiev, O. Arkhipov, N. Stojanović, B. Bondžulić, P. Mykhalichenko, T. Cherniavska, B. Cherniavskyi, V. Nadtochii, A. Nadtochyi, M. Korkh, Zghurska О., S. Kasian, K. Nakonechna, … I. Kalinichenko, Pattern recognition in surveillance systems and diagnostics (pp. 155-175). Scientific Route OÜ®. https://doi.org/10.21303/978-9908-845-05-0.ch6
