Research on integrated pitch-roll stability control of USV in hovering mode based on vertically-configured gyrostabilizers

• VCG is proposed to reduce wave disturbances in the pitch and roll of USVs. • A integrated pitch-roll stability controller is proposed to enhance the attitude stability of USVs. • Simulation and experimental results show the effectiveness and robustness of the method under various waves. The attitude stability of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) is essential to ensure safety and efficiency of hovering operations. While existing studies primarily address ship stability in transit by leveraging hydrodynamic effects from fins or rudders to counteract wave-induced disturbances, these methods prove inadequate during hovering manoeuvres. To overcome this limitation, this paper proposes a vertically-configured gyrostabilizer (VCG) designed to significantly enhance USV pitch and roll stability in hovering mode. A comprehensive stabilization controller is subsequently developed for attitude regulation. The effectiveness and robustness of the proposed approach are validated through numerical simulations and tank experiments. Results demonstrate that under both regular and irregular wave conditions, the system achieves maximum reductions of 59.72% in pitch and 96.23% in roll motion, markedly improving attitude stability during hovering operations.