Video-Based Identification and Prediction Techniques for Stable Vessel Trajectories in Bridge Areas

In recent years, the global upswing in vessel-bridge collisions underscores the vital need for robust vessel track identification in accident prevention. Contemporary vessel trajectory identification strategies often integrate target detection with trajectory tracking algorithms, employing models like YOLO integrated with DeepSORT or Bytetrack algorithms. However, the accuracy of these methods relies on target detection outcomes and the imprecise boundary acquisition method results in erroneous vessel trajectory identification and tracking, leading to both false positives and missed detections. This paper introduces a novel vessel trajectory identification framework. The Co-tracker, a long-term sequence multi-feature-point tracking method, accurately tracks vessel trajectories by statistically calculating the translation and heading angle transformation of feature point clusters, mitigating the impact of inaccurate vessel target detection. Subsequently, vessel trajectories are predicted using a combination of Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and a Graph Attention Neural Network (GAT) to facilitate anomaly vessel trajectory warnings, ensuring precise predictions for vessel groups. Compared to prevalent algorithms like YOLO integrated with DeepSORT, our proposed method exhibits superior accuracy and captures crucial heading angle features. Importantly, it effectively mitigates the common issues of false positives and false negatives in detection and tracking tasks. Applied in the Three Rivers area of Ningbo, this research provides real-time vessel group trajectories and trajectory predictions. When the predicted trajectory suggests potential entry into a restricted zone, the system issues timely audiovisual warnings, enhancing real-time alert functionality. This framework markedly improves vessel traffic management efficiency, diminishes collision risks, and ensures secure navigation in multi-target and wide-area vessel scenarios.