Determination of the Shortest Time Route Based on the Composite Influence of Multidynamic Elements

An optimally planned route is the foundation of a safe and economical navigation. This article proposes a method for the shortest time routing based on the composite influence of multidynamic elements. First, an instantaneous model is constructed based on static depths from a chart and a grid tidal model in a sea area, then a collection of obstacle areas are acquired and the navigability of a route is analyzed. Second, a search is made for the shortest time path using a dynamic programming method. Finally, the path is further optimized by strategies that involve excluding obstacle areas outside the rectangular box of all computation nodes, searching close nodes in the next stage and deleting redundant nodes for a more direct navigable route. Experimental results demonstrate that: (1) the proposed method can analyze the navigability of the route dynamically and acquire the shortest time route; (2) the route acquired by the proposed method has a shorter time than those of traditional method based on static depths; and (3) the shortest route depends on the departure time and the ship's speed.