In this paper, a problem of autonomous ship utility model identification for control purposes is considered. In particular, the problem is formulated in terms of model parameter estimation (one-step-ahead prediction). This is a complex task due to lack of measurements of the parameter values, their time-variability and structural uncertainty introduced by the available models. In this work, authors consider and compare two utility...

The arise of autonomous ships has necessitated the development of new risk assessment techniques and methods. This study proposes a new framework for navigational risk assessment of remotely controlled Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS). This framework establishes a set of risk influencing factors affecting safety of navigation of a remotely-controlled MASS. Next, model parameters are defined based on the risk factors, and...

Maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS) may operate in three predefined operational modes (OM): manual, remote, or autonomous control. Determining the appropriate OM for MASS is important for operators and competent authorities that monitor and regulate maritime traffic in given areas. However, a science-based approach to this respect is currently unavailable. To assist the selection of the proper OM, this study presents a risk-based...

This paper proposes a hybrid robust-adaptive learning-based control scheme based on Approximate Dynamic Programming (ADP) for the tracking control of autonomous ship maneuvering. We adopt a Time-Delay Control (TDC) approach, which is known as a simple, practical, model free and roughly robust strategy, combined with an Actor-Critic Approximate Dynamic Programming (ACADP) algorithm as an adaptive part in the proposed hybrid control...