A new efficient wave model for maritime training simulator

Abstract

The market for maritime training simulators is as important as the market for aeronautical training simulators. Many maritime accidents are caused by piloting errors in critical situations. Such situations are usually due to the environment (waves and streams). Hence, the main challenge of a maritime simulator is to simulate this environment as accurately as possible and, more precisely, to simulate ocean waves. Nowadays, two kinds of wave simulation theories are being presented. Firstly, accurate models are being created by physicists, while in computer graphics, researchers are putting forward some simpler physically-based models in order to produce static photorealistic images. This paper describes a new, efficient, real-time model of wave propagation and shows its integration in a real maritime simulator.