Marine collision avoidance route planning model for MASS based on domain-based predicted area of danger

When the own ship encounters target ships in a close-quarter situation, an officer on watch needs to safely and timely alter the course of the vessel to avoid a collision. If ECDIS can automatically collect the navigation parameters and plot areas of collision as quasi-static obstruction areas, it will be much easier for seafarers to implement effective route planning. Hence, this study focuses on developing the MCARP model as a theoretical concept based on the DPAD model and LCD model. By operating the MCARP using ArcGIS, DPADs and several effective collision avoidance routes can be generated and imported into ECDIS based on AIS information at large scales and ample time. The graphic overlay of DPADs and effective routes on ECDIS can serve as a collision avoidance strategy reference for the personnel controlling maritime autonomous surface ships. Finally, different ships encountering situations were input into a Transas navigational simulator. The simulation results showed that own ship could avoid collisions with multiple target ships at distances larger than the preset collision avoidance distances, which also indicated that MCARP is practically feasible.