Augmented Reality Applications for Ship Handling Simulation: Effectiveness Assessment in Nautical Training at Maritime Institute

Abstract

Maritime bridge simulation training represents one of the most pedagogically challenging yet operationally critical components of nautical officer education, tasked with developing complex spatial reasoning, situational awareness, and decision-making competencies required for safe ship navigation. Traditional bridge simulators generate a "realism gap" between simulation training and actual shipboard practice, as virtual environments remain perceptibly artificial and cannot fully replicate the embodied experience of shipboard watchkeeping. Augmented Reality (AR) technology offers a fundamentally different approach through hybrid physical-digital learning environments that preserve physical training spaces while selectively augmenting them with digital information and navigational overlays. This study investigates AR-enhanced ship handling simulation effectiveness at STIP Jakarta through mixed-methods assessment involving 120 nautical cadets and 18 simulator instructors. Quantitative findings reveal AR training significantly improves spatial awareness by 31.4 percent, collision avoidance decision-making by 26.3 percent, and overall nautical competency by 27.8 percent relative to traditional simulation, with greatest improvements in complex restricted visibility and emergency scenarios. Qualitative analysis identified immediate spatial comprehension and scaffolded complexity reduction as key pedagogical mechanisms. The study proposes an AR Maritime Simulation Integration Framework incorporating position overlay systems, collision warning applications, environmental condition simulation, and instructor training for AR-mediated pedagogy.