Data-driven sideslip observer-based adaptive sliding-mode path-following control of underactuated marine vessels

A novel data-driven sideslip observer-based adaptive sliding-mode path-follo-wing control (DSO-ASPC) scheme is proposed for underactuated marine vessels in the presence of large and time-varying sideslip. Main contributions are as follows: (1) A data-driven sideslip observer (DSO), by estimating both lumped unknown dynamics induced by sideslip angle and the discretization error, is innovatively proposed, and thereby contributing to high-accuracy estimation of large sideslip angle, which is allowed to be time-varying; (2) A DSO-based line-of-sight (DLOS) guidance law is further devised to guide the heading angle and compensate the sideslip; (3) By virtue of the estimated surge speed and heading guidance, data-driven velocity controllers are designed by sliding-mode technique, in addition that theoretical analysis is provided to guarantee asymptotic stability of the overall path-following closed-loop system. Simulation studies are finally conducted to demonstrate the efficiency and superiority of the proposed DSO-ASPC approach.