• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.49-56
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• 2023

As interest in autonomous ships continues to grow, researchers around the world are dedicating themselves to the development of relevant technologies. However, these technologies are not yet perfect. Several technical problems remain unresolved. To address these problems, this study presents the implementation of a ship trajectory algorithm for group navigation, where followers can navigate by following the trajectory of a leader. The algorithm works by storing the leader's trajectory as a follow-point and by calculating the azimuth using the line-of-sight guidance law to reach it. A course-keeping controller based on PD control is implemented to follow the target course and a speed control algorithm is designed to prevent collisions. Sea experiments were conducted using 1 m class small RC model boats to verify the proposed algorithm. The follower successfully navigated by following the leader's trajectory and maintained the designated distance to the forward boat. This study is significant in that it implements an algorithm for the follower to follow the trajectory of the leader rather than directly following it as in conventional methods, and verifies it through sea experiments.