Path Planning for Lock Entering Maneuvers Using Nonlinear Programming

This paper presents a path planning method for lock entering maneuvers that is based on nonlinear programming. Fairway boundaries, lock walls and the input saturation of the thrust devices of the vessel are accounted for as inequality constraints in the optimization. The environmental constraints are modeled as polygons or constructive solid geometry objects. Each of the methods is used to compute a path for a typical inland vessel with a bow thruster and a rudder and propeller configuration.