Path Planning Algorithm for Unmanned Surface Vehicle Based on Optimized Ant Colony Algorithm

In order to construct an efficient and reliable global path for unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), this paper proposes a USV global path planning algorithm based on an optimized ant colony algorithm (OACA). The algorithm constructs a USV global path planning model by comprehensively considering energy consumption costs and turning control costs. In order to ensure the adaptability of the model to the task environment, the USV's motion characteristics are analyzed with full consideration of external interference, and on this basis, the characterization of energy consumption costs and turning control costs is completed. In order to obtain the global optimal solution of the model and accelerate the convergence speed of the model, in the initialization process of the ant colony algorithm, the initial pheromone is distributed unevenly by introducing the distance relationship among the intermediate node, the starting point, and ending point to improve the initial search efficiency. In the iterative process of searching for the optimal solution, enhancing the guidance effect of the current optimal solution on the offspring ants by introducing a weight factor to improve the update rule of pheromone, which accelerates the convergence speed of the algorithm. In the last two steps of the deadlock path, the number of lost ants is reduced by introducing a penalty factor to punish the pheromone which can guarantee the diversity of ants, and the algorithm's premature convergence is overcome. The simulation results prove the effectiveness of this algorithm. © 2022 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.