Vessel-following dynamics: Experiment and modeling

Vessel traffic flow has been widely studied due to the rapid increase in demand for waterway transport. However, studies on the dynamics of vessel traffic flow are still lacked. To address this research gap, this paper performs an experimental study on the vessel following dynamics in the inland waterways, utilizing a platoon of eight vessels. The evolution of the spacing gap and velocity as well as mean velocity and macroscopic density indicate that there is an indifference region in which the vessels are not sensitive to the spacing gaps, as observed in the car-following process. We also found that the velocity of vessel approximately equal to that of the preceding vessel subjected to a time delay and the fluctuation, and the fluctuation follows a mean reversion process. Based on the observations, we proposed a vessel-following model, which could reproduce the experimental results well. This model is also validated by the data from another experiment involving two speedboats.