Numerical Simulation System of Navigation Control with Human-Machine Cooperation for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships

To achieve the Navigation Control with Human-Machine Cooperation (NC-HMC) for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), a real-time NC-HMC simulation system and related method are studied. A three-dimensional (3D) mathematical model of ship motion is established for the calculation of ship motion states, which takes rudder order and propeller speed as inputs and ship navigation states as outputs. The navigation scenarios of NC-HMC simulation system are generated with Unity 3D, a control interface for both the ship navigator and the machine is provided in this system, and the navigation risk can be calculated in real-time in consideration of relative states of own ship and target ships. Moreover, the human-machine navigation switching control algorithm is proposed based on the navigation risk with Distance to the Closest Point Approach (DCPA) and Time to the Closest Point Approach (TCPA). To verify the effectiveness of the NC-HMC simulation and method system, head-on, and overtaking encounter scenarios are designed and tested respectively, and the simulation results show that the NC-HMC system can make the right decision especially during the navigation control mode switching between human and machine, to maintain the ship safe navigation.