A Balanced Path-Following Approach to Course Change and Original Course Convergence for Autonomous Vessels

This paper proposes a novel path-following method for autonomous ships that optimizes overall performance by balancing course changes and convergence to the original route. The proposed method extends the line-of-sight (LOS) guidance law by dynamically adjusting key parameters based on the ship’s cr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of marine science and engineering Vol. 12; no. 10; p. 1831
Main Authors Choi, Won-Jin, Lee, Jeong-Seok
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.10.2024
Subjects
Accuracy
Algorithms
Autonomous navigation
autonomous vessels
balanced path following
Convergence
course changes
Fuzzy logic
Guidance (motion)
Line of sight
line-of-sight guidance law
maneuvering characteristics
Maneuvers
Maritime industry
Mathematical models
Navigation
Ocean currents
original course convergence
Simulation
Trajectory planning
Vessels
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Summary:This paper proposes a novel path-following method for autonomous ships that optimizes overall performance by balancing course changes and convergence to the original route. The proposed method extends the line-of-sight (LOS) guidance law by dynamically adjusting key parameters based on the ship’s cross-track error (XTE) and the distance of new course considering maneuvering characteristics. By incorporating these maneuvering characteristics, the method enables more precise adjustments during course changes, improving overall path-following performance. Simulation results showed that the proposed method outperformed three existing methods, including the traditional LOS guidance law, by minimizing overshoot and maintaining reasonable XTE during larger course changes. It achieved the lowest mean absolute cross-track error (MAE) while also significantly reducing the total time required to follow the path, highlighting its superior accuracy and efficiency in path following. These outcomes highlight the method’s potential to enhance significantly the path-following capabilities of autonomous vessels, contributing to greater efficiency and accuracy in pre-determined route navigation.
ISSN:2077-1312
2077-1312
DOI:10.3390/jmse12101831