A Data-Driven Method for Ship Route Planning Under Dynamic Environments

Abstract

The paper proposes an improved A* Algorithm based on historical AIS data for the multi-objective optimisation of ship weather routes, explicitly focusing on optimising voyage distance, economic costs, and emission costs within Sulphur Emission Control Areas. The method utilises trajectory interpolation, Ordering Points to Identify the Clustering Structure, and the Douglas–Peucker algorithm to preprocess AIS data, thereby enhancing the flexibility and accuracy of multi-objective path planning. The method incorporates different cost weights and the time dimension to optimise different routes dynamically. The technique also optimises the route in real time by treating ship power as a decision variable, adjusting the power according to different task requirements. The proposed method is compared with other commonly used path planning algorithms within a specific maritime area. The results show that it offers better adaptability in terms of multi-objective costs and timeliness.