A ship route planning method considering traffic trajectory density

To address the significant disparity between planned routes and actual requirements in ship path planning, we propose a method considering traffic trajectory density. Firstly, we construct a water grid environment model based on the density correlation features of ship trajectories. Then, we enhance the A* algorithm by introducing a reward-penalty function and expanding nodes. Lastly, using the maritime area near the Port of Angeles in the United States as a case study, we validate the reliability of the method. Experimental results demonstrate that compared to the traditional A* algorithm, our proposed approach exhibits faster convergence, shorter path length, fewer turning points, and shorter execution time. This path planning method can provide valuable decision support for ship navigation.