Double fuzzy logic control for the ship path following

Abstract

Path following is an issue of the ship modern industry. However, the main problem of ships is the conventional controllers that are based on PID algorithms, and are generally set to work under specific conditions. In this paper, two fuzzy logic controllers are designed to force underactuated ships to follow a desired path, despite of the presence of environmental disturbances induced by wave, wind and ocean-current. Numerical simulations using real ship characteristics are provided to illustrate the effectiveness and the robustness of the proposed methodology for the path following of underactuated ships.