Marine Vessel Reverse-Path Control for Emergency Turnaround
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated systems for marine vessels lack effective solutions for quickly and safely navigating away from undesired situations, such as crowded harbors or man-over-board events, especially in stressful or unexpected circumstances.
Innovation Solution
A control unit with processing circuitry and storage, capable of receiving path data from sensors and trigger signals from input devices, determines candidate locations for turning the vessel around and navigates it in reverse along the previously traveled path, avoiding obstacles and utilizing multiple sensor types for robustness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If automated systems are used to assist marine vessel control, then ease of operation is improved, but the ability to quickly respond to unexpected situations and maneuver in stressful circumstances remains insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by continuously recording the vessel's path data through sensors before any emergency occurs. This pre-recorded path information is stored and ready for immediate retrieval when a trigger signal is received, enabling rapid response without requiring complex real-time decision-making or manual maneuvering skills.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by autonomously navigating the vessel back along the recorded path when triggered, without requiring human intervention for the actual maneuvering. The control unit automatically processes the stored path data and executes the reverse navigation, making the system independent of human boating skills while maintaining reliable emergency response.
2Reliability
If manual control is used in stressful situations, then responsiveness to emergencies is improved, but the requirement for boating skills and complex maneuvering increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a copy of the original path data recorded during normal vessel operation. This copied path information is stored in memory and can be rapidly retrieved and executed in reverse when an emergency occurs. The control unit processes this copied data to generate automatic navigation commands, eliminating the need for manual skill while maintaining accurate path following.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the mechanical skill-based manual control system with an automated electronic control system. Instead of relying on the helmsman's manual maneuvering skills, the control unit electronically processes stored path data and automatically commands the vessel's propulsion and steering systems to execute the reverse path navigation.
3Loss of time
If the vessel turns around quickly in crowded harbors, then response time to abort maneuvers is reduced, but the risk of collision with other boats increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary recording of the exact path taken through the harbor environment, including all spatial relationships with other boats and obstacles. When an abort is triggered, this pre-recorded path data enables immediate execution of the reverse maneuver without requiring time for new path planning or manual assessment of collision risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensor devices to continuously monitor the vessel's position and orientation during the reverse path navigation. This feedback allows the control unit to make real-time adjustments to maintain accurate path following while avoiding collisions with other boats or obstacles that may have entered the area since the original path was recorded.
Data Source
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AI summary
A control unit for controlling a marine vessel (110) to avoid an emergency situation, the control unit comprising processing circuitry and a storage medium, wherein the control unit is arranged to receive path data from one or more sensor devices indicative of a path (T) travelled by the marine vessel (110) in a forward direction (F) and to store the received path data by the storage medium, characterized in that the control unit is arranged to receive a trigger signal from an input device, and, in response to the trigger signal, determine a location (L) for turning the vessel (110) around, navigating to the location (L), turning the vessel around at the location (L), and navigating the vessel (110) along the path (T) in reverse direction (R).