Model predictive control-based task-priority motion planning for a surface vehicle-manipulator system in dynamic marine environments

Prolonged splash-zone exposure induces corrosion in marine structures, necessitating efficient inspection, maintenance, and repair operations. Although surface vehicle-manipulator systems (SVMS) offer a high-mobility solution with extended operational coverage for these tasks, wave disturbances and operational constraints significantly compromise end-effector (EE) trajectory tracking accuracy and system stability. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a model predictive control-based task priority (MPC-TP) approach. EE trajectory tracking under wave disturbances is defined as the primary task, with wave-induced perturbations incorporated into the predictive model to enhance planning accuracy under complex constraints. To prevent manipulator singularities during operations, singularity avoidance is formulated as a secondary task, coordinated with the primary task using the task priority approach. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the MPC-TP approach in wave disturbance compensation, EE tracking, and singularity avoidance. This study provides theoretical and methodological support for SVMS-based operations in dynamic marine environments.