Unmanned ship path planning method

By combining forward reachable set algorithm and path backtracking algorithm in unmanned ship path planning, navigation paths that meet dynamic and stability requirements are determined, and dynamic adjustment of real-time sensing data, the problem that unmanned ships are difficult to quickly and safely reach their destinations in complex water environments is solved, and an efficient and safe navigation path is achieved.

CN119803440APending Publication Date: 2025-04-11SHANGHAI JIAOTONG UNIV +1
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202411942793.9
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-12-27
Publication Date
2025-04-11

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Unmanned ships are difficult to reach their destination quickly and safely during automatic navigation, especially in water environments where dynamic constraints and stability require complex water conditions.

Method used

The forward reachable set algorithm is used to determine the navigable area that meets the dynamic constraints on the map, and then use the path backtracking algorithm to gradually find the path points, eliminate the path points that do not meet the stability requirements, obtain multiple alternative paths, and finally select the shortest path as the best navigation path for the unmanned ship, and dynamically adjust the navigation path through real-time sensing data to avoid obstacles and dangerous waves.

Benefits of technology

It has achieved the rapid and safe arrival of unmanned ships under mission requirements, and improved the speed, safety and reliability of navigation.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The invention relates to an unmanned ship path planning method, which mainly comprises the following steps of: determining a sailing area meeting dynamic constraint conditions on a map by using a forward reachable set algorithm, then gradually searching path points by using a path backtracking algorithm, and when the path points are selected, excluding the path points which do not meet stability requirements to obtain a plurality of alternative paths; and selecting the shortest path from the alternative paths as the optimal navigation path of the unmanned ship. According to the unmanned ship path planning method, the unmanned ship can quickly and safely reach the destination according to task requirements.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of path planning, and in particular to a method for path planning of an unmanned ship. Background Art

[0002] A fully automatic surface robot that sails on the water surface relying on onboard sensors and its own navigation system. It can sail autonomously according to preset tasks through precise satellite positioning and its own sensor equipment. Unmanned ships have been applied to various fields of life, such as marine transportation, environmental surveys, and water search and rescue.

[0003] Since unmanned ships are not operated by humans and sail automatically, research on path planning for unmanned ships is particularly necessary. Summary of the invention

[0004] Based on this, a method for unmanned ship path planning is provided. The method for unmanned ship path planning is conducive to enabling the unmanned ship to reach the destination quickly and safely according to the mission requirements.

[0005] The scheme of this application is as follows:

[0006] A method for unmanned ship path planning, comprising:

[0007] The forward reachable set algorithm is used on the map to determine the navigable area that meets the dynamic constraints.

[0008] Then, the path backtracking algorithm is used to gradually find the path points. When selecting the path points, the path points that do not meet the stability requirements are excluded to obtain multiple alternative paths. The path with the shortest time is selected from the alternative paths as the optimal navigation path for the unmanned ship.

[0009] In one embodiment, satisfying the dynamic constraint condition includes that the energy consumed by the unmanned ship from a departure point to a destination within a navigable area is less than or equal to a consumption threshold.

[0010] In one of the embodiments, the stability requirement includes that the wave data information of the waters where the unmanned ship is sailing is within a corresponding wave data information threshold range.

[0011] In one of the embodiments, the stability requirement includes that the water depth data information of the water area where the unmanned ship is sailing is greater than or equal to a water depth threshold.

[0012] In one embodiment, the stability requirement includes that there must be no obstacles in the path of the unmanned vessel.

[0013] In one of the embodiments, when the unmanned ship is sailing on the optimal navigation path, a video image within a certain area of ​​the unmanned ship is obtained in real time through a camera installed on the unmanned ship, and the navigation path of the unmanned ship is dynamically adjusted according to the video image, so that the unmanned ship can avoid moving obstacles or dynamically deformable dangerous waves.

[0014] In one of the embodiments, when the unmanned ship is sailing on the optimal navigation path, the wave data information of the navigation waters is obtained in real time through the ship-borne wave sensor installed on the unmanned ship, and the navigation path of the unmanned ship is dynamically adjusted according to the real-time obtained wave data information, so that the unmanned ship avoids areas that exceed the wave data information threshold.

[0015] A computer storage medium stores at least one executable instruction, wherein the executable instruction enables a processor to execute operations corresponding to the unmanned ship path planning method.

[0016] A computer device includes: a processor, a memory, a communication interface and a communication bus, wherein the processor, the memory and the communication interface communicate with each other through the communication bus, and the memory is used to store at least one executable instruction, and the executable instruction enables the processor to execute the operation corresponding to the unmanned ship path planning method.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this application are:

[0018] This application first uses the forward reachable set algorithm on the map to determine the navigable area that meets the dynamic constraints, and then uses the path backtracking algorithm to gradually find the path points. When selecting the path points, the path points that do not meet the stability requirements are excluded to obtain multiple alternative paths, and the shortest path is selected from the alternative paths as the optimal navigation path for the unmanned ship. This application can use the above method to enable the unmanned ship to reach the destination quickly and safely according to the mission requirements. This method is fast, safe and reliable. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 This is a flow chart of an unmanned ship path planning method according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides an unmanned ship path planning method, comprising:

[0022] S100, using a forward reachable set algorithm on the map to determine a navigable area that satisfies dynamic constraints,

[0023] S200, then use the path backtracking algorithm to gradually find the path points. When selecting the path points, exclude the path points that do not meet the stability requirements to obtain multiple alternative paths, and select the shortest path from the alternative paths as the optimal navigation path for the unmanned ship.

[0024] Specifically, the method in the above-mentioned embodiments of the present application is to first find all areas that satisfy the dynamic constraint conditions as the navigable area of ​​the unmanned ship. For example, in one of the embodiments, the dynamic constraint conditions are included in the navigable area, and the energy consumed by the unmanned ship from the departure point to the destination is less than or equal to the consumption threshold. Since the amount of fuel or electricity carried on the unmanned ship is limited, before the energy is consumed, the unmanned ship needs to travel to the destination according to the planned path, so the present application first determines the navigable area of ​​the unmanned ship. Within the navigable area, the amount of fuel or electricity of the unmanned ship can support the navigation of the unmanned ship. The above-mentioned consumption threshold is the maximum value of the fuel or electricity carried by the unmanned ship that is allowed to be consumed.

[0025] It is understandable that during the navigation process, the unmanned ship can also detect the remaining amount of fuel or electricity carried by the unmanned ship in real time, and calculate the amount of fuel or electricity required for the remaining route. If the amount of fuel or electricity required for the remaining route is greater than the remaining amount of fuel or electricity carried by the unmanned ship, an alarm will be issued and the route can be replanned so that the unmanned ship can sail to the nearest shore and dock.

[0026] The above stability requirements include meeting the requirements of wave data information, obstacle information, water depth information, etc.

[0027] In one of the embodiments, the stability requirement includes that the wave data information of the waters where the unmanned ship is sailing is within a corresponding wave data information threshold range.

[0028] It should be noted that the above wave data information includes elements such as wave height and period. Each element corresponds to a threshold range. For example, the wave height in the waters where the unmanned ship is sailing must be within the wave height threshold range. Because excessive wave height may cause the unmanned ship to capsize. When the unmanned ship is sailing, the movement of nearby ships will also cause the waves to change. The movement of some ships will cause huge waves. The unmanned ship needs to avoid passing through areas near these ships during navigation.

[0029] In one of the embodiments, the stability requirement includes that the water depth data information of the water area where the unmanned ship is sailing is greater than or equal to a water depth threshold.

[0030] Since each type of unmanned ship has different water depth requirements, it is necessary to consider the water depth data information of the waters where the unmanned ship is sailing. This can ensure that the unmanned ship can sail safely.

[0031] In one embodiment, the stability requirement includes that there must be no obstacles in the path of the unmanned vessel.

[0032] Specifically, there are some obstacles in certain waters, such as some ships, some buoys or water platforms that will affect the free navigation of unmanned ships.

[0033] In one of the embodiments, when the unmanned ship is sailing on the optimal navigation path, a video image within a certain area of ​​the unmanned ship is obtained in real time through a camera installed on the unmanned ship, and the navigation path of the unmanned ship is dynamically adjusted according to the video image, so that the unmanned ship can avoid moving obstacles or dynamically deformable dangerous waves.

[0034] Specifically, unmanned ships can carry sensors such as lidar and cameras to obtain real-time information about the surrounding environment.

[0035] Specifically, in some waters, there will be some moving ships that will sail into the planned path of the unmanned ship. At this time, the camera can obtain images of these ships in real time. According to the images, the unmanned ship can take avoidance measures, such as slowing down or detouring. In addition, when the unmanned ship is sailing, there will be deformable dangerous waves. After the camera of the unmanned ship obtains these images, it needs to take avoidance measures.

[0036] It should be noted that the detour route determined by the unmanned ship during the detour must take into account the energy cost factor, that is, the detour is performed at the cost of consuming the lowest energy.

[0037] In one of the embodiments, when the unmanned ship is sailing on the optimal navigation path, the wave data information of the navigation waters is obtained in real time through the ship-borne wave sensor installed on the unmanned ship, and the navigation path of the unmanned ship is dynamically adjusted according to the real-time obtained wave data information, so that the unmanned ship avoids areas that exceed the wave data information threshold.

[0038] For example, if there is a moving ship in front that creates huge waves, the unmanned boat needs to replan its path to avoid the area to prevent the unmanned boat from capsizing due to excessive waves.

[0039] It should be noted that after the unmanned ship dynamically adjusts the navigation path based on the real-time image information or wave data information, it must also determine whether the fuel or power consumed by the new navigation path is less than or equal to the remaining fuel and power of the unmanned ship. If the fuel or power consumed by the new navigation path is too large, the unmanned ship will choose the shortest return path to return or plan to dock at the nearest shore.

[0040] In one embodiment, the unmanned ship can dynamically adjust the route according to the order task during the voyage. For example, when the unmanned ship is executing the first delivery order task, it receives other order tasks, and these order tasks involve multiple destinations. Then, the route with the shortest total time required to reach each destination is calculated as the best navigation route. The newly received order tasks include delivery order tasks or receiving order tasks.

[0041] One embodiment of the application provides a computer storage medium, in which at least one executable instruction is stored, and the executable instruction enables a processor to perform operations corresponding to the unmanned ship path planning method.

[0042] As an embodiment of the present invention, the communication bus mentioned in the above terminal can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The communication bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc.

[0043] As an implementation mode of the present invention, the communication interface is used for communication between the above-mentioned terminal and other devices.

[0044] As an embodiment of the present invention, the memory may include a random access memory (RAM) or a non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk memory. Optionally, the memory may also be at least one storage device located away from the aforementioned processor.

[0045] As an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned processor can be a general-purpose processor, including a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), etc.; it can also be a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components.

[0046] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer device, including: a processor, a memory, a communication interface and a communication bus, wherein the processor, the memory and the communication interface communicate with each other through the communication bus, and the memory is used to store at least one executable instruction, and the executable instruction enables the processor to execute operations corresponding to the unmanned ship path planning method.

[0047] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present invention, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present invention shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A method for unmanned ship path planning, characterized in that: include: The forward reachable set algorithm is used on the map to determine the navigable area that meets the dynamic constraints. Then, the path backtracking algorithm is used to gradually find the path points. When selecting the path points, the path points that do not meet the stability requirements are excluded to obtain multiple alternative paths. The path with the shortest time is selected from the alternative paths as the optimal navigation path for the unmanned ship.

2. The unmanned ship path planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dynamic constraint condition is satisfied when the energy consumed by the unmanned ship from the departure point to the destination within the navigable area is less than or equal to a consumption threshold.

3. The unmanned ship path planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stability requirement includes that the wave data information of the water area where the unmanned ship is sailing is within a corresponding wave data information threshold range.

4. The unmanned ship path planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stability requirement includes that the water depth data information of the water area where the unmanned ship is sailing is greater than or equal to a water depth threshold.

5. The unmanned ship path planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stability requirement includes that there should be no obstacles in the path of the unmanned ship.

6. The unmanned ship path planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the unmanned ship is sailing on the optimal navigation path, the camera installed on the unmanned ship obtains the video image within a certain area of ​​the unmanned ship in real time, and dynamically adjusts the navigation path of the unmanned ship according to the video image, so that the unmanned ship can avoid moving obstacles or dynamically deformable dangerous waves.

7. The unmanned ship path planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the unmanned ship is sailing on the optimal navigation path, the wave data information of the navigation waters is obtained in real time through the ship-borne wave sensor installed on the unmanned ship. The navigation path of the unmanned ship is dynamically adjusted according to the real-time wave data information, so that the unmanned ship avoids areas that exceed the wave data information threshold.

8. A computer storage medium, characterized in that The computer storage medium stores at least one executable instruction, and the executable instruction enables the processor to perform operations corresponding to the unmanned ship path planning method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A computer device, characterized in that: include: A processor, a memory, a communication interface and a communication bus, wherein the processor, the memory and the communication interface communicate with each other through the communication bus, and the memory is used to store at least one executable instruction, and the executable instruction enables the processor to perform an operation corresponding to the unmanned ship path planning method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.