Vessel Maneuvering Radar Filtering for Accurate Dock Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing maneuvering control systems for vessels face challenges in accurately recognizing docks due to the interference of objects like plastic containers, bottles, wood chips, and rain splashing on the water surface, leading to low accuracy in dock recognition.
Innovation Solution
A maneuvering control device for vessels that utilizes a radar system with synchronized transmission timings, inertial measurement, and threshold-based data filtering to create accurate maps and estimate vessel position, enhancing dock recognition by removing noise and interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If radar is used to detect objects around the vessel, then the vessel can detect floating objects and potential docks, but the accuracy of dock recognition deteriorates due to false detections from plastic containers, bottles, wood chips, and rain splashing
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of received value threshold to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant reflections. By setting a threshold, the processor filters out low-value reflections from small objects like plastic containers and rain splashes, while retaining reflections from larger structures like docks
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different processing qualities to different data points based on their received values. High received value data points are processed for dock recognition, while low received value data points are filtered out, creating a quality-based segmentation of the radar data
2Area of stationary object
If multiple radar units are used to improve detection coverage, then the vessel can monitor more areas, but the computational load and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential information from radar returns by applying a received value threshold. This extraction principle filters out unnecessary data from small objects, keeping only the significant reflections that likely represent docks or large structures, thereby reducing processing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs partial processing by not analyzing all radar returns in detail. Instead, it applies a preliminary filter based on received value thresholds, processing only those data points that exceed the threshold, thus avoiding excessive computation on irrelevant data
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system improves dock recognition accuracy by filtering out irrelevant reflections and synchronizing radar transmissions, allowing for precise berthing instructions and reducing computational load, thereby facilitating stable and accurate automatic berthing.
Implementation Method 1
a radar device (R) arranged on a hull, the radar device (R) receiving a reflected wave from an object of a radio wave transmitted around the hull
Implementation Method 2
the vessel self-position data acquirer (P) includes an inertia measurer (20, 103, 104) that measures an inertial system
Data Source
AI summary
A maneuvering control device for vessels, and vessels are provided, which recognize docks with high accuracy. A maneuvering control device 1 for a vessel 500 includes: a vessel self-position data acquisition unit P that acquires position data on itself; a radar device R arranged on a hull, the radar device receiving a reflected wave from an object of a radio wave transmitted around the hull; and a vessel-maneuvering data processing unit 100 that creates a map of around the hull and estimates a vessel self-position by using the position data acquired by the vessel self-position data acquisition unit P and data on the reflected wave received by the radar device R, in which the vessel-maneuvering data processing unit 100 creates a map by removing received values below a threshold from the data on the reflected wave.