Rolling cargo management using a deep reinforcement learning approach

Loading and unloading rolling cargo in roll-on/roll-off are important and very recurrent operations in maritime logistics. In this paper, we apply state-of-the-art deep reinforcement learning algorithms to automate these operations in a complex and real environment. The objective is to teach an autonomous tug master to manage rolling cargo and perform loading and unloading operations while avoiding collisions with static and dynamic obstacles along the way. The artificial intelligence agent, representing the tug master, is trained and evaluated in a challenging environment based on the Unity3D learning framework, called the ML-Agents, and using proximal policy optimization. The agent is equipped with sensors for obstacle detection and is provided with real-time feedback from the environment thanks to its own reward function, allowing it to dynamically adapt its policies and navigation strategy. The performance evaluation shows that by choosing appropriate hyperparameters, the agents can successfully learn all required operations including lane-following, obstacle avoidance, and rolling cargo placement. This study also demonstrates the potential of intelligent autonomous systems to improve the performance and service quality of maritime transport.