Synthetic Maritime Traffic Generation System for Performance Verification of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships

Abstract

With the global advancement of maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS), the critical task of verifying their key technologies, particularly in challenging conditions, becomes paramount. This study introduces a synthetic maritime traffic generation system (S-MTGS) designed for the efficient and safe verification of these technologies. The S-MTGS encompasses a maritime traffic generator integrating a generator based on absolute position (GAP) and a generator based on relative position (GRP). This innovative system leverages historical maritime data to create various scenarios or generate virtual ships based on their interactions with and proximity to other ships. The virtual ships adeptly navigate and perform collision avoidance maneuvers with nearby vessels enabled by the integrated collision avoidance algorithm. The S-MTGS’s ability to generate a wide range of maritime traffic information mirroring actual maritime conditions is pivotal for thoroughly verifying the performance of MASS technology under both standard and extreme situations. The development of the S-MTGS represents a significant advancement in maritime safety and technology. It can evaluate collision avoidance and navigation systems in MASS, featuring a virtual environment for realistic scenario testing and an intelligent navigation system focused on route tracking and collision avoidance.