A Reliability-Based Robust Design Optimization Method for Unmanned Surface Vessel Berthing Trajectory Planning Under Uncertainty
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Uncertainty may affect the effectiveness and feasibility of berthing trajectory planning for unmanned surface vessels. To enhance the disturbance-rejection capability and robustness of unmanned surface vessel berthing trajectory planning under uncertainty, this study proposes a reliability-based robust design optimization method for unmanned surface vessel berthing trajectory planning under uncertainty. First, based on the unmanned surface vessel berthing motion model and autonomous berthing constraints, a berthing trajectory planning system integrating line-of-sight guidance, artificial-potential-field-based local obstacle avoidance, and sliding-mode control is developed. Second, collision-avoidance models are established for obstacles of different geometric shapes. The repulsive fields generated by moving obstacle vessels are then modeled using the artificial potential field method while accounting for vessel-position uncertainty. Finally, an objective function and process constraints that account for uncertainty are formulated, and a reliability-based robust design optimization model for the berthing trajectory planning of unmanned surface vessels is established. Simulation results show that, under the two berthing scenarios and uncertainty conditions considered in this study, the reliability-based robust design optimization (RBRDO) scheme achieves lower mean and standard deviation of the terminal distance and a lower terminal berthing failure probability than both the fixed-parameter baseline scheme based on the line-of-sight guidance (LOS), artificial potential field (APF), and sliding-mode control (SMC) framework and the deterministic optimization scheme. These improvements enhanced the robustness and re-liability of unmanned surface vessel berthing trajectory planning under mixed uncertain-ties.
DOI: 10.3390/jmse14191826
Authors: Bo Wu, Jiaqi Yu, Zuyuan Liu
Institution: Wuhan University of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Ocean Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
OpenAlex ID: W7215891017