Verification of the image processing system in real conditions

Autonomous Vessel with an Air Look, is a research project that aims to develop autonomous navigation of ships. The system uses three independent sources of information i.e. radar, AIS ? Automatic Identification System and cameras, which can be located on a drone or ship?s superstructure. The article presents the results of testing of an image processing system in real conditions on m/f Wolin.

S-101 Charts, Database Tables For S-101 Charts, Autonomous Vessel

This article shows a way to store the data of many S-101 charts into a single Postgres database. The data model of the database with all tables is shown and explained. The concatenation of the indices from the different database tables is explained. This concatenation allows for a faster search of points/curves with certain properties. This fulfills one of the basic requirements for the purpose of navigating an autonomous vessel – that several charts can be interpreted simultaneously by a machine. Mechanisms for up-dating the database with new charts not yet present in the database are shown. Also the mechanisms for updating the charts already present in the database are explained. System limitations are briefly presented to show that in practical use there are in fact none. Memory requirements for such a type of chart storage in the database is compared with memory requirements for ISO8211 files normally used for storage of S-101 charts. With small examples it is finally shown how the stored chart information can be searched specifically.

Eco-Friendly Speed Control Algorithm Development for Autonomous Vessel Route Planning

The upcoming autonomous vessel voyage is promising future in the maritime sector. However, so far, the contemporary route decision making technologies rely on human intervention. Therefore, this manuscript proposes the two newly developed speed algorithms: the modified fixed speed control and the wave feed forward speed control in the route decision making procedure for the autonomous vessels. These two algorithms can control the vessel’s speed without human intervention in eco-friendly and economic manner. The first algorithm is the wave feed forward speed control that can predict the speed change according to wave loads and compensate it to reduce the fluctuation of speed, power, and fuel consumption. To develop this algorithm, the real time modeling of the wave added resistance and the wave real time effect on propulsion are analyzed. The efficacy of the developed wave feed forward scheme is validated using the in-house route optimization simulation program through comparisons with the results of conventional speed governor control case. The developed schemes are applied to a 173 K LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) carrier with twin propulsion. The other proposed speed control algorithm is the modified fixed control algorithm. This algorithm improves the conventional fixed power control algorithm by adding a time marching module to satisfy the required time arrival of the voyage. The two proposed methods are analyzed in the various simulations—ideal environmental conditions and real voyage environments: The Pacific and the Atlantic cases. Based on the results, the suggested methods can reduce fuel oil consumption, gas emission, and wear and tear problem of the propulsion devise of ship. In the study, it is clearly demonstrated that the developed wave feed forward speed control and modified fixed power scheme perform much better than the conventional speed governor control case.

Integrated Satellite–Terrestrial Connectivity for Autonomous Ships: Survey and Future Research Directions

An autonomous vessel uses multiple different radio technologies such as satellites, mobile networks and dedicated narrowband systems, to connect to other ships, services, and the remote operations center (ROC). In-ship communication is mainly implemented with wired technologies but also wireless links can be used. In this survey paper, we provide a short overview of autonomous and remote-controlled systems. This paper reviews 5G-related standardization in the maritime domain, covering main use cases and both the role of autonomous ships and that of people onboard. We discuss the concept of a connectivity manager, an intelligent entity that manages complex set of technologies, integrating satellite and terrestrial technologies together, ensuring robust in-ship connections and ship-to-outside connections in any environment. This survey paper describes the architecture and functionalities of connectivity management required for an autonomous ship to be able to operate globally. As a specific case example, we have implemented a research environment consisting of ship simulators with connectivity components. Our simulation results on the effects of delays to collision avoidance confirm the role of reliable connectivity for safety. Finally, we outline future research directions for autonomous ship connectivity research, providing ideas for further work.

APPLYING MODEL-BASED SYSTEMS ENGINEERING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AUTONOMOUS VESSEL FUNCTIONS

Developing autonomous functions for complex systems leads to high demands on the consideration of dependencies to external actors in the usage phase. In Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), this can be achieved by modelling operational aspects. Operational aspects are model elements and their relationships to each other. In this contribution, modelling of operational aspects with a MBSE-approach will be demonstrated exemplary on a case study related to the development of a yacht with an autonomous docking assistant. Currently modelling operational aspects is not common in the civil sector.