Characteristics of Professional Sharp-Lookout Skills towards Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships

In maritime transportation, compared with other modes of transportation such as cars and railroads, ships are not associated with roads or rails; furthermore, ships and obstacles must be identified and avoided in 360°. This situation is extremely complicated, and actions to be performed by seafarers are not stipulated clearly by ship-related laws and regulations. In fact, the actions are primarily based on the skills, kansei, and customs of seafarers, or "seamanship." In this research, we aim to develop a "professional sharp lookout" that is based on important skills and kansei to achieve safe navigations. This paper provides a comparison between the line-of-sight data of skilled ship navigators and the ship maneuvering behavior. Furthermore, quantitative data regarding the "point-of-sight" and "time-of-sight" before and after each ship maneuver are discussed.