HADAD: Hexagonal A-Star with Differential Algorithm Designed for Weather Routing

Dec 5, 2024·
Javier Jiménez De La Jara
,
Daniel Precioso
,
Louis Bu
,
M. Victoria Redondo-Neble
,
Robert Milson
,
Rafael Ballester-Ripoll
David Gómez-Ullate
David Gómez-Ullate
Comaprison between standard and optimized route on a specific weather realization
Abstract
This paper introduces HADAD (Hexagonal A-Star with Differential Algorithm Designed for weather routing), a new path-planning algorithm for maritime navigation that accounts for dynamic environmental conditions. The proposed approach extends the classical A* search on a hexagonal grid and integrates differential evolution to optimize the route under variable ocean and weather constraints. Compared to traditional grid-based and evolutionary routing methods, HADAD achieves faster convergence and improved fuel efficiency while maintaining navigational safety. Numerical experiments with real oceanographic and meteorological datasets demonstrate its ability to compute optimal or near-optimal ship routes in realistic sea conditions.
Type
Publication
Ocean Engineering (2024) 118728