Experimental Validation of Longitudinal Control of a Platoon of Vessels Established via the V-REP Simulator

Abstract

This study experimentally validates longitudinal control of a platoon of vessels established via the virtual robot experimentation platform (V-REP) simulator. For inter-vessel platooning, vessel positions are verified through GPS and the azimuth between vessels. A safety distance between the preceding and trailing vessels moving at variable speeds is proposed. The proposed method enables all the vessels to move, maintaining a compact formation, even when another vessel crosses the platoon of vessels because preceding vessels wait for trailing vessels. Results of extensive V-REP-based simulations indicate that the proposed approach is viable and effective in establishing longitudinal control of a platoon of vessels.