Maritime Autonomous Surface Ship’s Path Approximation Using Bézier Curves

Abstract

This work is devoted to the second order rational Bézier curve coefficients estimation. We present the methodology of unique coefficients for each type of ship computation. In the presented formulas of ship’s length, a draft and angular path combined with a drift path are used. This approach leads to the simplest and most accurate Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) path modeling. Three rational curve control points are waypoints (WPT). Using WPTs as curve control points allows integrating a trajectory intuitive for the navigator with a path predicting model used as a reference in the control system. Research was done based on real-time data originating from the MASS autonomous trajectory tracking system. The presented mathematical modeling tool may be treated as the best way of future trajectory prediction due to low computation power required.

Keywords

• MASS trajectory modeling
• unique weight coefficients
• rational bézier curve
• curve control points