Basic study of a student´s mental workload for simulator training using salivary No3−

Mental workload is useful to evaluate inner performance of ship bridge teammates: a captain, a duty officer, a helmsman, and a pilot. The physiological indices, heart rate variability (R-R interval), nasal temperature, and salivary amylase represent their mental workload in ship handling. Moreover, we have found a possibility of regarding salivary NO3⁻ as a good index for evaluating the mental workload of the navigator. The salivary NO3⁻ are expected to have a specific characteristic to have quick response on the spot. We previously confirmed the response of students for simulator training, then we were carried out the simulator experiment for marine pilot cadets. This paper proposes that salivary NO3⁻ shows a student´s mental workload of ship handling using a simulator.