Finite time ESO-based line-of-sight following method with multi-objective path planning applied on an autonomous marine surface vehicle

Abstract

The multi-objective path planning and robust continuous path-following method for the autonomous marine surface vehicle (AMSV) is employed. By incorporating the position and direction constraints into the optimization cost function, the spiral path planner obtains a continuous path with smooth path tangency and curvature and ensures strict adherence to the desired multi-objective points. An improved A* and optimization algorithm are combined with the global path planning to avoid obstacles in real-time. For the path-following controller, the unknown sideslip angle and uncertainties are added to build the system model, based on which observation technique is adopted to estimate all the uncertainties online. Based on the kinematic system, a finite time extended state observer (ESO) is put forward to estimate the sideslip angle accurately. The nonlinear line-of-sight (LOS) guidance scheme is designed for the model, effectively compensating for the observed values and achieving convergence in a finite time. The finite-time ESO is adopted to estimate the uncertainty for the surge and heading controller design, and the terminal sliding mode technique is introduced to achieve the final finite-time convergence. Through extensive experiments, the proposed approach demonstrates its effectiveness, feasibility, and the advantage of fast convergence and accurate control.