Towards Unmanned Surface Vehicles: Methods and Practices

The authors introduce advanced theories and algorithms for the analysis and design of a maritime unmanned surface vehicle system, covering the sensing, path following, navigation, and control of the ocean surface environment. They demonstrate the architectural design, implementation, and field testing of USVs as well as key applications, such as hostile military scenarios, scientific oceanographic observation, and intelligent waterborne transportation. In addition, they address the open challenges in the field and propose the corresponding future perspectives.