Trajectory planning and tracking control for underactuated unmanned surface vessels

The trajectory planning and tracking control for an underactuated unmanned surface vessel(USV) were addressed.The reference trajectory was generated by a virtual USV,and the error equation of trajectory tracking for underactuated USV was obtained,which transformed the tracking and stabilization problem of underactuated USV into the stabilization problem of the trajectory tracking error equation.A nonlinear state feedback controller was proposed based on backstepping technique and Lyapunov's direct method.By means of Lyapunov analysis,it is proved that the proposed controller ensures that the solutions of closed loop system have the ultimate boundedness property.Numerical simulation results are presented to validate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed controller.

Interpolation Technique for the Underwater DEM Generated by an Unmanned Surface Vessel

High-resolution underwater digital elevation models(DEMs)are important for water and soil conservation,hydrological analysis,and river channel dredging.In this work,the underwater topography of the Panjing River in Shanghai,China,was measured by an unmanned surface vessel.Five different interpolation methods were used to generate the underwater DEM and their precision and applicability for different underwater landforms were analyzed through cross-validation.The results showed that there was a positive correlation between the interpolation error and the terrain surface roughness.The five interpolation methods were all appropriate for the survey area,but their accuracy varied with different surface roughness.Based on the analysis results,an integrated approach was proposed to automatically select the appropriate interpolation method according to the different surface roughness in the surveying area.This approach improved the overall interpolation precision.The suggested technique provides a reference for the selection of interpolationmethods for underwater DEMdata.

Comprehensive Marine Observing Experiment Based on High-Altitude Large Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(South China Sea Experiment2020 of the “Petrel Project”)

In collaboration with 12 other institutions, the Meteorological Observation Center of the China Meteorological Administration undertook a comprehensive marine observation experiment in the South China Sea using the Yilong-10 high-altitude large unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV). The Yilong-10 UAV carried a self-developed dropsonde system and a millimeter-wave cloud radar system. In addition, a solar-powered unmanned surface vessel and two drifting buoys were used. The experiment was further supported by an intelligent, reciprocating horizontal drifting radiosonde system that was deployed from the Sansha Meteorological Observing Station, with the intent of producing a stereoscopic observation over the South China Sea. Comprehensive three-dimensional observations were collected using the system from 31 July to2 August, 2020. This information was used to investigate the formation and development processes of Typhoon Sinlaku(2020). The data contain measurements of 21 oceanic and meteorological parameters acquired by the five devices, along with video footage from the UAV. The data proved very helpful in determining the actual location and intensity of Typhoon Sinlaku(2020). The experiment demonstrates the feasibility of using a high-altitude, large UAV to fill in the gaps between operational meteorological observations of marine areas and typhoons near China, and marks a milestone for the use of such data for analyzing the structure and impact of a typhoon in the South China Sea. It also demonstrates the potential for establishing operational UAV meteorological observing systems in the future, and the assimilation of such data into numerical weather prediction models.

Blockchain Challenges in Maritime Industry: An Empirical Investigation of the Willingness and the Main Drivers of Adoption from the Hellenic Shipping Industry

In the shipping industry, significant part of the documents exchange still have the traditional paper form, mainly due to security concerns, despite the size and modernization efforts of this market. We explore the adoption of the blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies to address document exchange in a fast and secure way.