Development of a simulation scenario for cooperative robotics studies with marine crafts

Abstract

Marine environments offer suggestive scenarios for Automatic control and Cooperation strategies to be applied. The present paper focus on a particular one: Two ships towing together an off-shore oil retaining boom. Basic dynamical equations are presented for the combined displacement of both ships plus the boom. Computer simulation of basic manoeuvres works out the basic control implications of the problem and suggests cooperation among the ships as a suitable and reliable technique to fulfil ships goals and minimize boom strain.