Modelling the helmsman in a ship control system

Modelling and simulation studies form an important stage in the development of integrated control systems. At this stage, the designer must have available validated models to perform the task realistically. When dealing with a complex man-machine system such as a ship steering control system it is relatively easy to obtain models of the hardware components but more difficult to model the helmsman who closes the loop. With the aid of helmsman models, closed-loop simulation studies can be undertaken to give a better assessment of the handling capabilities of a proposed ship design than can be obtained from studying the dynamic behaviour of the ship model in isolation. The paper outlines the construction and testing of linear and fuzzy helmsman models for a manoeuvrable warship