Probabilities of Detection and Identification of Navigation Buoy Light Signals.

The position in azimuth of an observer relative to the plane of angular motion tilt of a buoy most significantly affects the ability of an observer to initially detect and then identify specific buoy characteristic flashes. Under idealized assumptions it is possible to develop from appropriate past records of buoy angular motion data, probabilities of detection POD and identifying POI buoys. While these results were developed under highly idealized assumptions, it is recommended that further studies be conducted with more realistic assumptions that take into account 1 autocorrelation of buoy tilt angle in relation to buoy identification time, 2 central tendency of buoy roll and pitch, 3 the lobe-shaped light divergence pattern as contrasted to the wedge-shaped divergence pattern, and 4 the physiological and psychological factors that affect detection and identification. Author