An Improved VFH+ Algorithm for Real-time Obstacle Avoidance in Unmanned Surface Vessel

At present, the marine field is receiving more and more attention, and the path planning capability of unmanned surface vessels is of paramount importance. This capability allows these vessels to avoid obstacles and successfully reach their intended destinations. Path planning can be categorized into global and local planning. In the face of complex and changeable maritime environment, this paper proposes an improved VFH+ algorithm which aims at local planning and real-time obstacle avoidance ability. The performance and obstacle avoidance success rate of the algorithm are improved in three key ways: (1) By considering the movement characteristics of the specific used unmanned vessel, the range of selectable directions is ameliorated; (2) Refining the cost formula for direction choice aids in addressing the "dead end" issue; and (3) The path point generation strategy is optimized by using the eband-planner for smoother obstacle avoidance. The efficacy of these enhancements is corroborated through simulation experiments.