KF-based LOS Guidance Law for Path Following of USV: Experiments and Performance Evaluation

In this paper, we present the experimental results of the recently proposed Kalman filter-based line-of-sight (KF-based LOS) path-following algorithm tailored for Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs), addressing a known challenge where traditional LOS methods lack robustness against external disturbances leading to sideslip and tracking errors. A series of experiments focusing on straight-line following has been conducted, with all data systematically recorded for further analysis. The vehicle’s performance is quantitatively assessed through well-known performance indices. The results demonstrate that the KF-based LOS method effectively compensates for sideslip, enabling a USV to accurately follow a straight line.