Development and Identification of a Linear Low-Speed Ship Maneuvering Model from Full-Scale Data

Agnes N. Mwange; Taichi Kambara; Kouki Wakita; Kazuyoshi Hosogaya; Atsuo Maki

Development and Identification of a Linear Low-Speed Ship Maneuvering Model from Full-Scale Data

Systems and Control 2026-07-02 v1

Authors: Agnes N. Mwange , Taichi Kambara , Kouki Wakita , Kazuyoshi Hosogaya , Atsuo Maki

Abstract

Despite significant technological progress, the realization of fully autonomous berthing and unberthing remains a significant challenge. One of the primary obstacles is the complex, non-linear nature of low-speed ship dynamics, which are difficult to model and control and often necessitate equally complex maneuvering models and control systems. This study proposes a simplified approach to bridge this gap by modeling the ship dynamics in the form of a time-invariant, continuous-time linear state-space system. The model parameters are estimated through system identification using the Covariance Adaptation Strategy Evolution Strategy (CMA-ES) applied to full-scale maneuvering data. Validation results demonstrate a strong agreement between the model output and empirical data. This outcome demonstrates the significant potential of simplified models to effectively define the maneuvering motion of a ship at low speeds.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2607.01739,
  title  = {Development and Identification of a Linear Low-Speed Ship Maneuvering Model from Full-Scale Data},
  author = {Agnes N. Mwange and Taichi Kambara and Kouki Wakita and Kazuyoshi Hosogaya and Atsuo Maki},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2607.01739},
  year   = {2026}
}