A Novel COLREGs-Based Automatic Berthing Scheme for Autonomous Surface Vessels

Yuan, Shouzheng; Sun, Gongwu; He, Yunqian; Sun, Yuxin; Song, Simeng; Zhang, Wanyuan; Jiao, Huifeng

doi:10.3390/jmse13050903

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Open AccessArticle

A Novel COLREGs-Based Automatic Berthing Scheme for Autonomous Surface Vessels

by

Shouzheng Yuan

^1,2

,

Gongwu Sun

^1,2,

Yunqian He

^1,2,

Yuxin Sun

³,

Simeng Song

⁴,

Wanyuan Zhang

^1,2 and

Huifeng Jiao

^1,2,*

¹

China Ship Scientific Research Center, Wuxi 214082, China

²

Taihu Laboratory of Deepsea Technological Science, Wuxi 214082, China

³

School of Internet of Things, Wuxi University, Wuxi 214105, China

⁴

College of Intelligent Systems Science and Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150006, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(5), 903; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13050903

Submission received: 18 March 2025 / Revised: 23 April 2025 / Accepted: 25 April 2025 / Published: 30 April 2025

(This article belongs to the Section Ocean Engineering)

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Abstract

This paper tackles the highly challenging problem of automatic berthing for autonomous surface vessels (ASVs), encompassing trajectory planning, trajectory tracking, and collision avoidance. Firstly, a novel A* algorithm integrated with a quasi-uniform B-spline and quadratic interpolation method (A*QB) is proposed for generating a smooth trajectory from the initial position to the berth, utilizing an offline-generated scaled map. Secondly, the optimal nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC)-based trajectory-tracking framework is established, incorporating the model’s uncertainty, the input saturation, and environmental disturbances, based on a 3-DOF model of a ship. Finally, considering the collision risks during port berthing, a COLREGs-based collision avoidance method is investigated. Consequently, a novel trajectory-tracking and COLREGs-based collision avoidance (TTCCA) scheme is proposed, ensuring that the ASV navigates along the desired trajectory, safely avoids both static and dynamic obstacles, and successfully reaches the berth. To validate the TTCCA approach, numerical simulations are conducted across four scenarios with comparisons to existing methods. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed scheme.

Keywords: autonomous surface vessel; automatic berthing; collision avoidance; nonlinear model predictive control

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MDPI and ACS Style

Yuan, S.; Sun, G.; He, Y.; Sun, Y.; Song, S.; Zhang, W.; Jiao, H. A Novel COLREGs-Based Automatic Berthing Scheme for Autonomous Surface Vessels. J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13, 903. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13050903

AMA Style

Yuan S, Sun G, He Y, Sun Y, Song S, Zhang W, Jiao H. A Novel COLREGs-Based Automatic Berthing Scheme for Autonomous Surface Vessels. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. 2025; 13(5):903. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13050903

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yuan, Shouzheng, Gongwu Sun, Yunqian He, Yuxin Sun, Simeng Song, Wanyuan Zhang, and Huifeng Jiao. 2025. "A Novel COLREGs-Based Automatic Berthing Scheme for Autonomous Surface Vessels" Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 13, no. 5: 903. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13050903

APA Style

Yuan, S., Sun, G., He, Y., Sun, Y., Song, S., Zhang, W., & Jiao, H. (2025). A Novel COLREGs-Based Automatic Berthing Scheme for Autonomous Surface Vessels. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 13(5), 903. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13050903

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A Novel COLREGs-Based Automatic Berthing Scheme for Autonomous Surface Vessels

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