# Guidance and Control of Unmanned Surface Vehicles via HEOL

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.00168 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.00168/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 30 Apr 2025.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Avoidance of an unexpected obstacle without reinforcement learning: Why not using advanced control-theoretic tools?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.03721/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

This work presents a new approach to the guidance and control of marine craft via HEOL, i.e., a new way of combining flatness-based and model-free controllers. Its goal is to develop a general regulator for Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV). To do so, the well-known USV maneuvering model is simplified into a nominal Hovercraft model which is flat. A flatness-based controller is derived for the simplified USV model and the loop is closed via an intelligent proportional-derivative (iPD) regulator. We thus associate the well-documented natural robustness of flatness-based control and adaptivity of iPDs. The controller is applied in simulation to two surface vessels, one meeting the simplifying hypotheses, the other one being a generic USV of the literature. It is shown to stabilize both systems even in the presence of unmodeled environmental disturbances.