Toward a Decision Support System for Energy-Efficient Ferry Operation on Lake Constance based on Optimal Control

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Homburger, Hannes, Jäckl, Bastian, Wirtensohn, Stefan, Stopp, Christian, Fischer, Maximilian T., Diehl, Moritz, Keim, Daniel A., Reuter, Johannes
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Homburger, Hannes
Jäckl, Bastian
Wirtensohn, Stefan
Stopp, Christian
Fischer, Maximilian T.
Diehl, Moritz
Keim, Daniel A.
Reuter, Johannes
author_facet Homburger, Hannes
Jäckl, Bastian
Wirtensohn, Stefan
Stopp, Christian
Fischer, Maximilian T.
Diehl, Moritz
Keim, Daniel A.
Reuter, Johannes
contents The maritime sector is undergoing a disruptive technological change driven by three main factors: autonomy, decarbonization, and digital transformation. Addressing these factors necessitates a reassessment of inland vessel operations. This paper presents the design and development of a decision support system for ferry operations based on a shrinking-horizon optimal control framework. The problem formulation incorporates a mathematical model of the ferry's dynamics and environmental disturbances, specifically water currents and wind, which can significantly influence the dynamics. Real-world data and illustrative scenarios demonstrate the potential of the proposed system to effectively support ferry crews by providing real-time guidance. This enables enhanced operational efficiency while maintaining predefined maneuver durations. The findings suggest that optimal control applications hold substantial promise for advancing future ferry operations on inland waters. A video of the real-world ferry MS Insel Mainau operating on Lake Constance is available at: https://youtu.be/i1MjCdbEQyE
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_11786
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Toward a Decision Support System for Energy-Efficient Ferry Operation on Lake Constance based on Optimal Control
Homburger, Hannes
Jäckl, Bastian
Wirtensohn, Stefan
Stopp, Christian
Fischer, Maximilian T.
Diehl, Moritz
Keim, Daniel A.
Reuter, Johannes
Systems and Control
Human-Computer Interaction
Robotics
The maritime sector is undergoing a disruptive technological change driven by three main factors: autonomy, decarbonization, and digital transformation. Addressing these factors necessitates a reassessment of inland vessel operations. This paper presents the design and development of a decision support system for ferry operations based on a shrinking-horizon optimal control framework. The problem formulation incorporates a mathematical model of the ferry's dynamics and environmental disturbances, specifically water currents and wind, which can significantly influence the dynamics. Real-world data and illustrative scenarios demonstrate the potential of the proposed system to effectively support ferry crews by providing real-time guidance. This enables enhanced operational efficiency while maintaining predefined maneuver durations. The findings suggest that optimal control applications hold substantial promise for advancing future ferry operations on inland waters. A video of the real-world ferry MS Insel Mainau operating on Lake Constance is available at: https://youtu.be/i1MjCdbEQyE
title Toward a Decision Support System for Energy-Efficient Ferry Operation on Lake Constance based on Optimal Control
topic Systems and Control
Human-Computer Interaction
Robotics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.11786