Performance Evaluation of Autonomous Waypoint Navigation on a Catamaran-Type Unmanned Surface Vehicle

Abstract

This study presents the development and performance evaluation of an autonomous waypoint navigation system for a catamaran-type Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV). The proposed system enables autonomous waypoint-following missions through real-time position monitoring, heading control, telemetry communication, and mission execution. The navigation system was implemented on a catamaran-type USV platform equipped with a companion computer, autopilot controller, GPS module, inertial sensors, and dual-thruster propulsion system. To evaluate navigation performance, experiments were conducted in both simulation and real-world environments. The performance assessment was based on waypoint error and heading error during autonomous waypoint-following missions. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed system successfully executed autonomous navigation missions in both testing environments. The simulation experiments achieved a mean waypoint error of 0.49 m and a mean heading error of 4.21°, while the real-world experiments produced a mean waypoint error of 1.15 m and a mean heading error of 10.8°. Although larger navigation errors were observed during real-world operation due to environmental disturbances and positioning uncertainty, the USV successfully completed all assigned waypoint missions. These results demonstrate that the proposed navigation system provides reliable autonomous waypoint-following performance and supports maritime monitoring and inspection applications.