Design of a Decision Support System for Energy-Efficient Ferry Operation on Lake Constance based on Optimal Control
📄 Submitted to the European Control Conference (ECC) 2026
This repository accompanies the paper:
"Design of a Decision Support System for Energy-Efficient Ferry Operation on Lake Constance based on Optimal Control"
The work addresses the energy-efficient operation of inland ferries by combining:
- 🚢 A dynamic model of the ferry MS Insel Mainau
- 🎯 A shrinking-horizon optimal control framework
- 🌊 Environmental disturbances (water currents, wind)
- âš¡ Real-time decision support for ferry crews
The maritime sector is undergoing a disruptive technological change driven by autonomy, decarbonization, and digitalization. Addressing these factors necessitates a reassessment of inland vessel operations.
This paper presents the design and technical development of a decision support system for ferry operation grounded in a shrinking-horizon optimal control framework. The formulation integrates a mathematical model of the ferry’s dynamics and environmental disturbances, specifically water currents and wind, which can significantly affect operations.
Illustrative experiments demonstrate the system’s potential to:
- Provide real-time, actionable guidance (nudges) to the crew
- Enhance operational efficiency
- Maintain predefined maneuver durations
- Ensure computational tractability for real-time applications
The findings suggest that optimal control can advance and potentially transform ferry operations on inland waters.
🔒 Note: The code and ferry model will be released after acceptance of the paper.
Planned contents include:
model/– Dynamic model of the ferry MS Insel Mainaucontrol/– Optimal control formulations and solver setupexperiments/– Simulation and evaluation scriptsdocs/– Additional documentation and results
🎥 A video of the real-world ferry MS Insel Mainau operating on Lake Constance is provided here:
https://youtu.be/i1MjCdbEQyE