REAL-TIME SHIPBOARD SEAWAY SENSOR

A SEAWAY SENSOR IS NEEDED FOR 1) BETTER MATCHING SHIP DESIGN TO PERFORMANCE IN SEAKEEPING TRIALS, 2) GENERATING OPERATIONAL CONSTRAINTS, AND 3) TACTICAL APPLICATIONS WHERE FREQUENT RELIABLE ASSESSMENT OF SEA STATE HELPS CONDUCT OPERATIONS SAFETY, EFFICIENTLY AND PRODUCTIVELY. A USEFUL SEAWAY SENSOR MUST IN REAL-TIME MEASURE WAVE HEIGHT, DIRECTION AND PERIOD, THEN PRESENT OPTIMALLY USEFUL INFORMATION FROM THESE DATA TO OPERATIONAL PERSONNEL AND TO TACTICAL DECISION AIDS. IN SOME CASES, LIKE RIDE CONTROL, PHASE (TIMING) DATA IS ALSO NEEDED. CHIEF CRITERIA FOR JUDGING CANDIDATE APPROACHES WILL BE (1) CAPABILITY TO PROVIDE THE REQUIRED DATA IN ALL SEA CONDITIONS, AND (2) RELIABILITY UNDER EVEN THE MOST VIOLENT OPERATING CONDITIONS. ALTHOUGH OTHER TECHNOLOGIES WILL BE CONSIDERED, OUR BASELINE DESIGN IS A HYBRID SYSTEM CONSISTING OF A RUGGED BOW MOUNTED LASER HEIGHT/ PERIOD PROFILER WITH MICROWAVE RADAR DIRECTION EXTRACTION. PHASE I EFFORT WILL STRESS THOSE ELEMENTS MOST VULNERABLE TO THE OPERATING ENVIRONMENT: 1) DESIGN AND DEMONSTRATION OF A SURVIVABLE BOW MOUNTED LASER HEIGHT GAUGE SUBSYSTEM, 2) OPERATIONAL PROTOTYPE SYSTEM ASSESSMENT, 3) REQUIREMENTS AND CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR PHASE II IMPLEMENTATION.