UGhent - Autonomous: Car vs Ship

Unlike cars, ships are heavily influenced by water interaction:

• Hydrodynamic forces depend on velocity and acceleration
• Added mass effects (water moving with the ship)
  

Water depth strongly influences ship behaviour. In shallow water:

• Hydrodynamic forces increase
  
• Ship becomes harder to manoeuvre
  
• Interaction with seabed and banks becomes significant

Key takeaways

• Ship dynamics are much more complex than cars due to hydrodynamic forces
• Shallow water significantly alters ship behaviour, making accurate modelling and testing essential—especially for autonomous vessels.