Multi-USV system for oil spill cleaning: Complete coverage path planning and path following

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Marine Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Oil spills pose significant environmental threats, necessitating efficient cleanup strategies.
• Coordinated multi-Unmanned Surface Vehicle (multi-USV) systems offer a promising solution for large-scale environmental monitoring and cleanup.
• Path planning and precise path following are critical challenges in deploying multi-USV systems effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient path planning and following strategy for a multi-USV system for oil spill cleanup.
• To address the complexities of energy constraints and minimum turning radius in path planning.
• To overcome challenges in velocity state estimation under measurement noise for path following.

Main Methods:

• Reformulated the complete coverage path planning as a multi-USV Dubins coverage path planning problem.
• Employed a simulated annealing algorithm for optimal path generation.
• Developed a finite-time observer (combining Extended State Observer and Kalman Filter) for velocity state and disturbance estimation.
• Designed a finite-time Line-of-Sight (FTLOS) guidance law and a finite-time feedback controller.

Main Results:

• The simulated annealing algorithm generated efficient paths for the multi-USV system.
• The finite-time observer accurately estimated USV velocity states and disturbances despite measurement noise.
• The FTLOS guidance law and feedback controller enabled precise path tracking and speed control within a finite time.
• Demonstrated successful coordinated operation of the multi-USV system for coverage path planning.

Conclusions:

• The proposed multi-USV system with advanced path planning and control strategies is effective for oil spill cleanup.
• The finite-time observer and control design enhance the robustness and accuracy of USV operations in challenging marine environments.
• This research contributes to the advancement of autonomous marine systems for environmental protection and disaster response.