EP-4737857-A1 - FEASIBLE SHIP VOYAGE PLANNING

EP4737857A1EP 4737857 A1EP4737857 A1EP 4737857A1EP-4737857-A1

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to a computer-implemented method for path planning for marine vessels, comprising: acquiring (S102) start position data and destination position data for the marine vessel, acquiring (S104) static obstacle position data; acquiring (S106) environmental data (28, 31, 33) indicating at least one of wind speed and direction, sea current strength and direction, and wave conditions, determining (S108) multiple paths (54, 55, 56) from the start position to the destination position based on map data, the static obstacle position data, and the environmental data, where the multiple paths avoid static obstacles and respect propulsion capabilities of the marine vessel, wherein each of the multiple paths optimize a respective key indicator among a plurality of key indicators, ranking (S110) the determined paths according to one of the key indicators, and providing (S112) an output signal (62) indicating at least a subset of the ranked generated paths.

Inventors

SHARIFI, Maryam
FEYZMAHDAVIAN, Hamid

Assignees

ABB SCHWEIZ AG

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20241030

Claims (15)

A computer-implemented method for path planning for marine vessels, comprising: acquiring (S102) start position data and destination position data for the marine vessel, acquiring (S104) static obstacle position data; acquiring (S106) environmental data (28, 31, 33) indicating at least one of wind speed and direction, sea current strength and direction, and wave conditions, determining (S108) multiple paths (54, 55, 56) from the start position to the destination position based on map data, the static obstacle position data, and the environmental data, where the multiple paths avoid static obstacles and respect propulsion capabilities of the marine vessel, wherein each of the multiple paths optimize a respective key indicator among a plurality of key indicators, ranking (S110) the determined paths according to one of the key indicators, and providing (S112) an output signal (62) indicating at least a subset of the ranked generated paths.
The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving (S114) a selection signal (S) indicating a selection of another one of the key indicators, and adapting (S116) the ranking to the selected key indicator.
The method of any of claims 1-2, wherein key indicators include travel time, energy consumption, and energy consumption taking into account wind/current/wave contribution.
The method of any of claims 1-3, comprising: determining, using the environmental data, an amount of auxiliary propulsion that can be generated for the marine vessel from renewable energy sources, wherein the amount of auxiliary propulsion is taken into account when determining the multiple paths and their energy consumption.
The method of claim 4, wherein the auxiliary propulsion (65) is one of a photovoltaic system and a Magnus rotor.
The method of any of claims 1-5, wherein the environmental data includes real-time weather information retrieved via an Application Programming Interface (API) (40) from an external weather service.
The method of any of claims 1-6, wherein static obstacle position data is periodically updated based on changes in the environment, such as the detection of floating objects or other vessels, using onboard radar or sonar systems.
The method of any of claims 1-7, wherein the propulsion capabilities of the marine vessel include at least one of, minimum turning radius, allowable speed, roll constraints, acceleration and deceleration capacities, and propulsion capabilities with respect to the depth of water.
The method of any of claims 1-8, comprising: calculating collision free waypoints between the start position and the destination position based on the obstacle position data using a Voronoi-diagram method.
The method of any of claims 1-9, wherein the multiple paths are determined using a graph-based algorithm to calculate the shortest or most efficient route between waypoints based on the respective key indicator.
A control unit (16) configured to execute the method of any one of the preceding claims.
A system for path planning for marine vessels, comprising: a control unit according to claim 11, a human-machine interface (42) configured to provide an output of the determined multiple paths; and an input device (44) configured to receive a selection of a key indicator to be used for the ranking.
The system according to claim 12, wherein the human-machine interface is a display.
A marine vessel (10) comprising a control unit (16) according to claim 11 and/or a system according to any one of claims 12-13.
A computer program product (20) comprising program code for performing the method according to any one of claims 1-10, when executed by a control unit.

Description

Field of the Invention The present invention generally relates to a computer-implemented method for path planning for marine vessels, to a control unit for executing the method, to a marine vessel comprising the control unit, and to a corresponding computer program product. Background Path planning algorithms play a key role in optimizing performance and ensuring the successful execution of missions for marine vessels. These algorithms are responsible for generating position trajectories and speed profiles, while accounting for various constraints such as propulsion capabilities and obstacles at sea. Traditional maritime path planning solutions face challenges in generating feasible routes that align with a vessel's capabilities and lack the diversity of alternatives in path selection which may lead to suboptimal path selection. That is, it would be desirable to increase the diversity in maritime path planning. Summary In view of the above-mentioned and other drawbacks of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for path planning for marine vessels that at least partly alleviates the drawbacks of prior art. According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer-implemented method for path planning for marine vessels, comprising: acquiring start position data and destination position data for the marine vessel, acquiring static obstacle position data; acquiring environmental data indicating at least one of wind speed and direction, sea current strength and direction, and wave conditions, determine multiple paths from the start position to the destination position based on map data, the static obstacle position data, and the environmental data, where the multiple paths avoid static obstacles and respect propulsion capabilities of the marine vessel, wherein each of the multiple paths optimize a respective key indicator among a plurality of key indicators, ranking the determined paths according to one of the key indicators, and provide an output signal indicating at least a subset of the ranked generated paths. The present invention is at least partly based on the realization of determining multiple paths which are optimized according to different key indicators. A key indicator value for all the multiple paths and all key indicators can be determined such that, for a given or selected key indicator, a ranking of the paths can be determined where the most optimal path for the given key indicator is given highest rank and the least optimal path for the given key indicator is given lowest rank. With ranking according to a key indicator, the possibility to choose the key indicator provides the ability to find a path that is optimized according to a preferred one of the key indicators. Thus, the path planning is not locked to a given optimization parameter, but a diversity of alternatives is provided. The present invention identifies alternative routes that differ from a primary path and ensures safe maneuvering when the primary path becomes inaccessible due to obstacles such as other ships, collisions, or unforeseen events. For example, if an island lies between the starting point and the destination, the method may generate at least one path on each side of the island, both the right and left, providing multiple viable options for navigation. Start position data and destination position data may be for example GNSS (global navigation satellite system) or GPS (global positioning system) position data indicating the start position and destination position. The environmental data may be acquired by on-board sensors or by onshore or offshore weather stations that send the data to the marine vessel. The positions of obstacles may be determined by on-board sensors such as Radar and Lidar and/or by receiving navigation data such as GPS signals, or position data received from secondary marine vessels. For ranking of the generated paths based on a key indicator, key indicator values may be considered. The values are organized from most preferred to least preferred, and the ranking of the generated paths for the selected key indicator is made accordingly. In embodiments, the method may comprise receiving a selection signal indicating a selection of another one of the key indicators and adapting the ranking to the selected key indicator. Advantageously, this allows for ranking the generated paths according to another one of the key indicators. That is, an operator may select a preferred key indicator for the present situation, providing flexibility and customization in path planning. In embodiments, the key indicators may include travel time, energy consumption without considering wind, sea current, and wave conditions, and energy consumption taking into account wind, sea current, and wave conditions. Thereby, three important key indicators are selectable. For example, by including indicators like wind-assisted energy contribution, the method optimizes not only for spee