Cooperative multi-agent control for autonomous ship towing under environmental disturbances
Zhe Du*, Rudy R. Negenborn, Vasso Reppa
Transport Engineering and Logistics
Among the promising application of autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) is the utilization of multiple autonomous tugs for manipulating a floating object such as an oil platform, a broken ship, or a ship in port areas. Considering the real conditions and operations of maritime practice, this paper proposes a multi-agent control algorithm to manipulate a ship to a desired position with a desired heading and velocity under the environmental disturbances. The control architecture consists of a supervisory controller in the higher layer and tug controllers in the lower layer. The supervisory controller allocates the towing forces and angles between the tugs and the ship by minimizing the error in the position and velocity of the ship. The weight coefficients in the cost function are designed to be adaptive to guarantee that the towing system functions well under environmental disturbances, and to enhance the efficiency of the towing system. The tug controller provides the forces to tow the ship and tracks the reference trajectory that is computed online based on the towing angles calculated by the supervisory controller. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can make the two autonomous tugs cooperatively tow a ship to a desired position with a desired heading and velocity under the (even harsh) environmental disturbances.
IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica
https://doi.org/10.1109/JAS.2021.1004078
Cooperative control
Environmental disturbances
Multiple autonomous vessels
Robust control
Ship towing
10.1109/JAS.2021.1004078
Dive into the research topics of 'Cooperative multi-agent control for autonomous ship towing under environmental disturbances'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Ships Engineering & Materials Science 100%
Cost functions Engineering & Materials Science 16%
Trajectories Engineering & Materials Science 12%
Oils Engineering & Materials Science 11%
Du, Z., Negenborn, R. R., & Reppa, V. (2021). Cooperative multi-agent control for autonomous ship towing under environmental disturbances. IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica, 8(8), 1365-1379. https://doi.org/10.1109/JAS.2021.1004078
Du, Zhe ; Negenborn, Rudy R. ; Reppa, Vasso. / Cooperative multi-agent control for autonomous ship towing under environmental disturbances. In: IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica. 2021 ; Vol. 8, No. 8. pp. 1365-1379.
@article{c149c770dad847eaac62a638f3a38947,
title = "Cooperative multi-agent control for autonomous ship towing under environmental disturbances",
abstract = "Among the promising application of autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) is the utilization of multiple autonomous tugs for manipulating a floating object such as an oil platform, a broken ship, or a ship in port areas. Considering the real conditions and operations of maritime practice, this paper proposes a multi-agent control algorithm to manipulate a ship to a desired position with a desired heading and velocity under the environmental disturbances. The control architecture consists of a supervisory controller in the higher layer and tug controllers in the lower layer. The supervisory controller allocates the towing forces and angles between the tugs and the ship by minimizing the error in the position and velocity of the ship. The weight coefficients in the cost function are designed to be adaptive to guarantee that the towing system functions well under environmental disturbances, and to enhance the efficiency of the towing system. The tug controller provides the forces to tow the ship and tracks the reference trajectory that is computed online based on the towing angles calculated by the supervisory controller. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can make the two autonomous tugs cooperatively tow a ship to a desired position with a desired heading and velocity under the (even harsh) environmental disturbances.",
keywords = "Cooperative control, Environmental disturbances, Multiple autonomous vessels, Robust control, Ship towing",
author = "Zhe Du and Negenborn, {Rudy R.} and Vasso Reppa",
doi = "10.1109/JAS.2021.1004078",
journal = "IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica",
publisher = "IEEE Advancing Technology for Humanity",
Du, Z, Negenborn, RR & Reppa, V 2021, 'Cooperative multi-agent control for autonomous ship towing under environmental disturbances', IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica, vol. 8, no. 8, pp. 1365-1379. https://doi.org/10.1109/JAS.2021.1004078
Cooperative multi-agent control for autonomous ship towing under environmental disturbances. / Du, Zhe; Negenborn, Rudy R.; Reppa, Vasso.
In: IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica, Vol. 8, No. 8, 2021, p. 1365-1379.
T1 - Cooperative multi-agent control for autonomous ship towing under environmental disturbances
AU - Du, Zhe
AU - Negenborn, Rudy R.
AU - Reppa, Vasso
N2 - Among the promising application of autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) is the utilization of multiple autonomous tugs for manipulating a floating object such as an oil platform, a broken ship, or a ship in port areas. Considering the real conditions and operations of maritime practice, this paper proposes a multi-agent control algorithm to manipulate a ship to a desired position with a desired heading and velocity under the environmental disturbances. The control architecture consists of a supervisory controller in the higher layer and tug controllers in the lower layer. The supervisory controller allocates the towing forces and angles between the tugs and the ship by minimizing the error in the position and velocity of the ship. The weight coefficients in the cost function are designed to be adaptive to guarantee that the towing system functions well under environmental disturbances, and to enhance the efficiency of the towing system. The tug controller provides the forces to tow the ship and tracks the reference trajectory that is computed online based on the towing angles calculated by the supervisory controller. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can make the two autonomous tugs cooperatively tow a ship to a desired position with a desired heading and velocity under the (even harsh) environmental disturbances.
AB - Among the promising application of autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) is the utilization of multiple autonomous tugs for manipulating a floating object such as an oil platform, a broken ship, or a ship in port areas. Considering the real conditions and operations of maritime practice, this paper proposes a multi-agent control algorithm to manipulate a ship to a desired position with a desired heading and velocity under the environmental disturbances. The control architecture consists of a supervisory controller in the higher layer and tug controllers in the lower layer. The supervisory controller allocates the towing forces and angles between the tugs and the ship by minimizing the error in the position and velocity of the ship. The weight coefficients in the cost function are designed to be adaptive to guarantee that the towing system functions well under environmental disturbances, and to enhance the efficiency of the towing system. The tug controller provides the forces to tow the ship and tracks the reference trajectory that is computed online based on the towing angles calculated by the supervisory controller. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can make the two autonomous tugs cooperatively tow a ship to a desired position with a desired heading and velocity under the (even harsh) environmental disturbances.
KW - Cooperative control
KW - Environmental disturbances
KW - Multiple autonomous vessels
KW - Robust control
KW - Ship towing
U2 - 10.1109/JAS.2021.1004078
DO - 10.1109/JAS.2021.1004078
JO - IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica
JF - IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica
Du Z, Negenborn RR, Reppa V. Cooperative multi-agent control for autonomous ship towing under environmental disturbances. IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica. 2021;8(8):1365-1379. https://doi.org/10.1109/JAS.2021.1004078