This study evaluates the effectiveness of high-fidelity maritime simulators in improving seafarer training, focusing on navigation and emergency response skills. Using Kongsberg Polaris full-mission simulators, 98 participants (students, professionals and instructors) completed structured simulator exercises and were assessed using customised post-exercise questionnaires. Results indicate improved practical skills, with professionals reporting higher confidence and perceived control than students. Emotional engagement was also important: professionals showed more balanced responses, whereas students exhibited higher arousal and more variable perceptions of control. Instructors emphasised real-time feedback and scenario customisation as key to effective training. Limitations included challenges with certain manoeuvres, lack of integrated assessment tools and high simulator costs limiting wider adoption. The study concludes that high-fidelity simulators are valuable in maritime education, although further technological development and adaptation for less experienced trainees are needed.

The instructor of a full mission marine simulator faces a daunting task, controlling several target ships under varying environmental conditions while responding to a variety of communications. This project applies computer agent technology to an instructor station. Each target ship is controlled by a collision avoidance agent which takes command of the ship and a track-keeping agent which acts as an assistant, sending the collision avoidance agent advisory messages. Experiments have been performed for a number of collision situations in varying environmental conditions. An analysis of the results demonstrates the potential of such a system for producing realistic target ship motion, including track-keeping and some collision avoidance manoeuvres, thus reducing the instructor’s immediate load.