OS-BREEZE: Oil Spills Boundary Red Emission Zone Estimation Using Unmanned Surface Vehicles

TL;DR

This paper introduces OS-BREEZE, a new method using unmanned boats to quickly map oil spills near shorelines, improving pollution monitoring efficiency.

Contribution

The novel OS-BREEZE technique reduces the path length needed for oil spill assessment using Unmanned Surface Vehicles.

Findings

OS-BREEZE directs USVs along spill edges for rapid and accurate pollution assessment.

Scale model experiments showed improved speed and efficiency compared to traditional methods.

The method was tested in four scenarios simulating different oil spill stages and locations.

Abstract

Maritime transport, responsible for delivering over eighty percent of the world’s goods, is the backbone of the global delivery industry. However, it also presents considerable environmental risks, particularly regarding aquatic contamination. Nearly ninety percent of marine oil spills near shores are attributed to human activities, highlighting the urgent need for continuous and effective surveillance. To address this pressing issue, this paper introduces a novel technique named OS-BREEZE. This method employs an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) for assessing the extent of oil pollution on the sea surface. The OS-BREEZE algorithm directs the USV along the spill edge, facilitating rapid and accurate assessment of the contaminated area. The key contribution of this paper is the development of this novel approach for monitoring and managing marine pollution, which significantly reduces the path length required for mapping and estimating the size of the contaminated area. Furthermore, this paper presents a scale model experiment executed at the Coastal and Marine Engineering Research Institute (CAMERI). This experiment demonstrated the method’s enhanced speed and efficiency compared to traditional monitoring techniques. The experiment was methodically conducted across four distinct scenarios: the initial and advanced stages of an oil spill at the outer anchoring, as well as scenarios at the inner docking on both the stern and port sides.

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