Enhanced Wave Buoy Analogy Through Heading Adjustment Strategy Based on Restricted Isometry Property

Abstract The safety and efficiency of marine operations are significantly influenced by external environmental conditions, with waves being the most critical factor affecting floating structures. These waves are described by the directional wave spectrum, which includes both spatial and frequency power distributions. However, real-time in situ wave spectrum measurements are often insufficient due to limitations in traditional methods. To address this issue, the wave buoy analogy (WBA) has emerged as a cost-effective and viable method for estimating sea states using ship motion responses. Despite its potential, the performance of WBA can vary due to a ship’s inherent hydrodynamic properties, specifically response amplitude operators (RAOs). This variability can lead to inaccurate sea state estimations, posing potential risks. In this study, an adaptive ship heading adjustment strategy was proposed to enhance the accuracy of WBA by identifying optimal heading angles, thereby mitigating inaccuracies in specific sea states. The WBA performance can be preliminarily evaluated from the perspective of restricted isometry property (RIP) using RAOs as input. The received assessment criterion helps determine the direction in which the ship can provide a more accurate estimate. The implementation of the heading adjustment strategy significantly improves the accuracy and robustness of sea state estimations. Numerical simulations validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.