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A nonlinear optimal control approach for unmanned surface vessels

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Abstract

The ability of unmanned surface vessels for performing dexterous maneuvering is important for improving vessels’ safety, reliability and operational capacity. The article proposes a nonlinear optimal control approach for unmanned surface vessels. These vessels exhibit three degrees of freedom while their dynamic model can be formulated in analogy to the one of robotic manipulators. This model undergoes approximate linearization around a temporary operating point that is recomputed at each time-step of the control method. The linearization relies on Taylor series expansion and on the associated Jacobian matrices. For the linearized state-space model of the system a stabilizing optimal (H-infinity) feedback controller is designed. This controller stands for the solution to the nonlinear optimal control problem under model uncertainty and external perturbations. To compute the controller’s feedback gains an algebraic Riccati equation is repetitively solved at each iteration of the control algorithm. The stability properties of the control method are proven through Lyapunov analysis. Finally, to implement state estimation-based control without the need to measure the entire state vector of the vessel, the H-infinity Kalman Filter is used as a robust state estimator. The article’s results can be extended to the case of underactuation, that is when the 3-DOF vessel has no thrusters to enable propulsion along its transversal axis. The solution of the nonlinear optimal control problem for unmanned surface vessels allows for reducing energy consumption by their propulsion and navigation system and thus it permits to improve the vessels’ autonomy and operational capacity.

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Funding

This research work has been partially supported by Grant "Ref. 3671” - “Control and estimation of dynamical nonlinear and PDE systems” of the Unit of Industrial Automation of the Industrial Systems Institute

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  1. Unit of Industrial Automation, Industrial Systems Institute, 26504, Rion Patras, Greece

    G. Rigatos

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Rigatos, G. A nonlinear optimal control approach for unmanned surface vessels. Mar Syst Ocean Technol 18, 89–110 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40868-023-00126-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40868-023-00126-5

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