Marine Docking Control Interface With Adaptive Buffer Distance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous and semi-autonomous marine vessel control systems face challenges in navigating tight spaces and maintaining safe distances from obstacles due to unpredictable marine environmental factors like wind, waves, and current, and existing systems struggle to reliably manage buffer zones for collision avoidance and docking operations.
Innovation Solution
A propulsion control system that calculates and maintains a buffer distance around the marine vessel using proximity sensors and velocity limit algorithms, limiting operator control to prevent collisions and allowing autonomous control for precise navigation during docking and launch, while suspending buffer distance maintenance upon user input for controlled impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If autonomous control with buffer zone maintenance is used, then collision avoidance reliability is improved, but operator control authority deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts between autonomous and manual control modes based on operational context. The buffer zone maintenance is active during normal operation but can be suspended when the operator initiates a controlled impact maneuver, allowing the system to adapt control authority levels to match operational requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the control parameter state by switching between buffer zone maintenance mode and controlled impact mode. When a controlled impact is initiated, the buffer zone parameter is temporarily modified or suspended, allowing the vessel to override safety distances for deliberate docking or grounding operations
2Reliability
If velocity limiting is applied to maintain buffer distance, then collision prevention is improved, but navigation speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Velocity limits are dynamically adjusted based on proximity to obstacles and operational mode. During normal operation with buffer zone active, velocity is constrained to maintain safety margins. When controlled impact mode is initiated, velocity limits are relaxed or removed to allow faster approach speeds for deliberate docking or grounding maneuvers
3Reliability
If buffer zone maintenance is active, then safety margin is improved, but docking precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer zone parameter is dynamically modified based on operational phase. During approach, full buffer zone maintenance provides safety margins. When controlled impact mode is initiated, the buffer zone is suspended or reduced, allowing the vessel to overcome the safety margin constraint and achieve precise contact with the dock or obstacle
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the buffer zone parameter from an active constraint to a suspended or reduced state during controlled impact operations, enabling the vessel to transition from safety-oriented positioning to precision-oriented docking where controlled contact is the desired outcome
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A marine propulsion system (20) includes at least one propulsion device (12a, 12b) and a user input device (22, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 100) configured to facilitate input for engaging automatic propulsion control functionality with respect to a docking surface (150), wherein the user input device (22, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 100) includes a direction indicator display (115) configured to visually indicate a direction with respect to the marine vessel (10). A controller (24) is configured to identify a potential docking surface (150), determine a direction of the potential docking surface (150) with respect to the marine vessel (10), and control the direction indicator display (115) to indicate the direction of the potential docking surface (150) with respect to the marine vessel (10). When a user selection is received via the user input device (22, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 100) to select the potential docking surface (150) as a selected docking surface (150), propulsion of the marine vessel (10) is automatically controlled by controlling the at least one propulsion device (12a, 12b) to move the marine vessel (10) with respect to the selected docking surface (150).