A two-stage collision avoidance path planning approach for inland ferries under dynamic channel crossing risk conditions

Abstract

Path planning of inland ferries is usually characterized by the short route, complex navigation environments and high responsibility to keep the clearance of other ships. In this study, a novel two-stage collision avoidance path planning method for inland ferries is proposed. In the first stage, a Ferry Crossing Pattern Determination (FCPD) model considering crossing risk is introduced to determine the suitable crossing patterns (i.e., sail crossing the encountered ships from bow or stern) in each voyage. In the second stage, the shortest path that fits the crossing patterns is constructed based on the identified crossing points under different risk degrees. A case study of the world's busiest inland river, the Yangtze River, is conducted to validate the rationality of the proposed model. The results indicate that the paths generated from the proposed approach are in general shorter and safer than that of real situations. This research provides a theoretical and practical basis for collision avoidance path planning of ferries under dynamic channel-crossing risk conditions, thus enhancing the safety and efficiency of inland waterway transportation.