Fuzzy Logic in Selection of Maritime Search and Rescue Units

Abstract

The article discusses methods of ships assessment when determining their suitability for search and rescue action (SAR) at sea. Selection of the most preferable ships is one of the action planning elements. Due to various construction and equipment the civilian ships can only perform rescue task to a certain degree. According to the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), many parameters and data have to be compared in order to create a ranking of vessels ordered according to the coordinator’s preferences. When data are missing, incomplete or uncertain, a similar effect can be obtained using fuzzy logic. The author discussed the nature of the criteria, evaluation methods and presented a simulation of a ship study using fuzzy logic. The author developed fuzzy rules and presented the principle of operation of the controller. The article deals with the main principles of a decision support system (DSS) for the selection of ships in SAR operations.