Collision Avoidance Controller for Unmanned Surface Vehicle Based on Improved Cuckoo Search Algorithm

For the dynamic collision avoidance problem of an unmanned surface vehicle (USV), a dynamic collision avoidance control method based on an improved cuckoo search algorithm is proposed. The collision avoidance model for a USV and obstacles is established on the basis of the principle of the velocity obstacle method. Simultaneously, the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) is incorporated in the collision avoidance process. For the improvement of the cuckoo algorithm, the adaptive variable step-size factor is designed to realize the adaptive adjustment of flight step-size, and a mutation and crossover strategy is introduced to enhance the population diversity and improve the global optimization ability. The improved cuckoo search algorithm is applied to the collision avoidance model to obtain an optimal collision avoidance strategy. According to the collision avoidance strategy, the desired evasion trajectory is obtained, and the tracking controller based on PID is used for the Lanxin USV. The experimental results show the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed collision avoidance method, which provides a solution for the autonomous dynamic collision avoidance of USVs.