Route Optimization for Sailing Vessels using Artificial Intelligence Techniques

Sailing is not a new concept. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) within the field of sailing however is a relatively new concept. AI is being applied to a variety of different aspects within the field of sailing such as AI plotting unmanned vessels across the globe as well as in the optimization of racing vessels in a variety of prestigious regatta. This paper aims to explore the application of AI to the route creation and plotting aspect of AI in sailing, the objective being to create a system that efficiently assists sailors with their route creation within a complex environment. The approach used is through the creation of a model that uses an adapted A* (star) search algorithm where the weightings of the heuristic values used better represent the costs associated with the complex environment the algorithm operates in. The environment devised in this paper is a combination of geographical and meteorological data and coordinates to create a semi-dynamic environment in which the system operates. The resulting system successfully creates optimized routes within the semi-dynamic environment devised by the system.