Ship Domain Model for Multi-ship Collision Avoidance Decision-making with COLREGs Based on Artificial Potential Field

A multi‐ship collision avoidance decision‐making and path planning formulation is studied in a distributed way. This paper proposes a complete set of solutions for multi‐ship collision avoidance in intelligent navigation, by using a top‐to‐bottom organization to structure the system. The system is designed with two layers: the collision avoidance decision‐making and the path planning. Under the general requirements of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs), the performance of distributed path planning decision‐making for anti‐collision is analyzed for both give‐way and stand‐on ships situations, including the emergency actions taken by the stand‐on ship in case of the give‐way ship’s fault of collision avoidance measures. The Artificial Potential Field method(APF) is used for the path planning in details. The developed APF method combined with the model of ship domain takes the target ships’ speed and course in‐to account, so that it can judge the moving characteristics of obstacles more accurately. Simulation results indicate that the system proposed can work effectiveness. http://www.transnav.eu the International Journal on Marine Navigation and Safety of Sea Transportation Volume 11