Speed Constraints Handling in USV Swarm Path-Following Frameworks

This paper focuses on the improvement of a swarm-based path-following guidance system for an autonomous marine multi-vehicle system. In the seminal idea a team of Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) is required to join into a formation by means of a potential-based swarm aggregation methodology, while a virtual-target based guidance module drives the whole formation towards a desired reference path. Such a framework is then enhanced by taking into account the vehicles' positive surge speed constraint and maximum limit, typical of marine systems. The analysis of the results is reported to prove the feasibility and reliability of the proposed methodology, as well as the performance evaluation of the overall system.