August 2010 Collision avoidance algorithms added to SPECTRE autopilot

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A simple collision avoidance algorithm has been implemented on SPECTRE in order to facilitate the task of navigating safely while operating an unmanned vessel. Collision avoidance is generally a higher-level function in vehicle control, associated with mission planning and execution.

Collision avoidance may be broken down into several distinct subtasks:

  1. Obstacle detection ,
  2. Obstacle classification,
  3. Collision avoidance route planning,
  4. Route execution (autopilot functions).

Tasks 1 and 2 will be performed by an external 3rd party system. Algorithms to perform Task 3, namely how to modify the vehicle's course and speed to ensure a safe passage and avoid the obstacle, have been developed and added to SPECTRE's autopilot algorithm suite. The algorithm uses basic information about the obstacle (location, characteristic size, course and speed if moving).

These calculations can either be performed internally within SPECTRE or may be performed on a separate, dedicated collision avoidance processor. In this case, the CA processor receives obstacle data as well as SPECTRE's intended course and speed; it then calculates the new course and speed, overriding SPECTRE's settings in order to avoid collisions.

© H-Scientific 2012