Open Source Simulator for Virtual Maritime Operations

Marine operations are rapidly coming in demand over de past years, and simulations are commonly run in order to estimate the system’s response in diverse scenarios before moving to a real domain. Open source simulation through a web-based design opens many windows for reinventing what nowadays is known as proprietary simulation software. This environment brings advantages such as rapid and collaborative development, wide compatibility with diverse operational systems, no need for powerful computers, friendly user interfaces, and it provides results quick to obtain and easy to share. The scope of the project is to reuse and develop new objects in an existing open-source environment with structures and methods for vessel and marine operation simulation through a web-based platform by using JavaScript, an object-oriented programming language. The study will use these tools to build up and develop the current conceptual ship design library by modelling interaction between single bodies and creating new multibody models able to output different responses according to a range of various inputs, considering the different requirements and limitations for maritime operations. By using a taxonomy for maritime operations simulations, different operations are chosen to simulate in an open source environment. In order to create case studies, these simulations are decomposed in single elements in order to understand their behaviour separately before making them interact with other elements to create a multibody. In the process, different disturbances are applied to the bodies according to the needs of the simulations and the level of complexity. The simulations are coded in JavaScript and visualized in a web environment in order to assess them. A discussion for the efficiency of the method and the utility of these simulations is carried. 1. Maritime Operations in Open Source In order to successfully carry or improve a current maritime operation within the estimated timeframe and costs, simulations are commonly run by designers and personnel before moving to a real domain, allowing the user to estimate what can go wrong for the different variables and contexts. This offers the possibility to create a wide variety of marine simulations within different sub-fields and goals considering various external disturbances given by the simulation requirements that can approximate the simulation to a real-life model. Open source simulation through a web-based design opens many windows for reinventing what nowadays is known as proprietary simulation software, which deals with expensive licensing not affordable for everyone. Additionally, even if licensing is not a problem and the user obtains some results with the aim to share them, a couple hours could go by before the user has copied and pasted different graphs, tables and data in a PowerPoint presentation. This is normally due to the lack of compatibility of this specialized software, that cannot be displayed or run outside its environment. The need of developing these new tools in a way that are attractive to users by giving them features such as reliability, accessibility and ease of use needs to be fulfilled at the same time it is open for manipulation and improvement, promoting this way a collaborative community, where the knowledge can be spread and revised by others. This study offers the possibility to expand this technology to a wide range of potential users that do not know about the advantages of open source simulation by