Hydrologic riverbed generation and operational analysis for autonomous vessels in meandering inland waterways

Paper in proceeding, 2025

Confined water significantly impacts autonomous vessel navigation. This study introduces a novel method for rapidly generating inland waterway scenarios to validate vessel performance in dynamic confined conditions. A new formula models river hydraulics, incorporating crosssectional shifts, current fields, deposition, and erosion effects. Validated with U.S. River field data, the formula captures the lateral migration of the thalweg in bends. The hydraulic model was incorporated into a novel voyage planning simulation platform for operational analysis. The ship path following simulations reveal the profound influence of hydrodynamic effects on steering, highlighting the need to integrate bathymetric and current data into control systems to enhance navigational safety for autonomous vessels in confined waterways.