A Multi-Layered Potential Field Method for Water-Jet Propelled Unmanned Surface Vehicle Local Path Planning with Minimum Energy Consumption

Focusing on the influence of wind and surface currents on local path planning in the marine environment, a multilayered potential field (MPF) method is proposed to minimize the energy consumption of a water-jet propelled unmanned surface vehicle (USV). A synthetic environment framework that can incorporate the information of the base potential field layer and the environment layer is constructed first. This framework provides a base for minimizing the energy consumption of the water-jet propelled USV through proper force weighting. For the purpose of USV path planning, the traditional potential field method is extended by including the velocity information of the USV and the approached obstacles to avoid collisions with dynamic obstacles. The proposed method integrates kinematic control to prevent considering the vehicle as a point mass or rigid body. Finally, simulation and comparison experiments are performed to demonstrate the energy-saving efficiency of the proposed local path planning approach for the water-jet propelled USV.