Quantitative Gaze Similarity Analysis for Operation-based Maritime Studies: A Conceptual Approach

Abstract

Video-based eye-tracking technology has demonstrated promising potential for quantitatively assessing the mental states of maritime professionals, particularly perceptual performance related to situational awareness—a critical competency for operators of both conventional and crewless ships. Quantitative evaluation of perception can support the enhancement of training curricula for conventional operators and accelerate the development of effective training frameworks for remote operations of unmanned ships. One approach to evaluating perceptual performance is gaze similarity analysis; however, existing quantitative methods for operation-based experimental settings incorporate subjective elements, which may limit analytical accuracy and reproducibility. To address this limitation, this study proposes a conceptual, quantitative gaze similarity analysis method that does not rely on subjective judgment. The method is demonstrated through an experiment involving simulated remote ship operations. In the experiment, a participant wearing a mobile eye-tracker monitored two navigational scenarios: southbound and northbound passages through the Uraga Channel traffic route. Fixation data obtained from both scenarios were analyzed using the proposed method. The results indicate that gaze similarity can be quantitatively assessed in operation-based experimental settings using data derived directly from operational tasks, thereby providing an alternative framework that complements existing approaches for evaluating perceptual performance among maritime professionals.