Performance and Comparison of PID-Based Techniques for USV Navigation

A comparison of PID-based controller techniques for navigating a fully-actuated unmanned surface vehicle (USV) is considered. A waypoint following methodology combining station-keeping and heading-speed controllers has been developed in support of greater navigational accuracy. This approach involves application of a mathematical algorithm for switching controllers based on the angle formed by three waypoints. The controller is validated using the Virtual RobotX (VRX) simulation environment developed by Open Robotics including a WAM-V 16 USV. The simulation utilizes the Robot Operating System (ROS) framework and the Gazebo physics engine. Field experiments with an actual WAM-V 16 USV equipped with the station-keeping and heading-speed controllers were conducted to assess the performance of the new methodology. The results of these field experiments and those of the simulations are discussed taking into consideration the rigid body and hydrodynamic parameters of the WAMV-16, the simulated vehicle, and the prevailing environmental disturbances.