Undersea Cable Path Planning with Curvature Constraints

Undersea optical fiber cables that span vast distances are integral to the Internet’s infrastructure. Manual path planning of such cables is an arduous task. The Fast Marching Method (FMM), a precise numerical approach capable of solving the Eikonal equation, offers a viable, rigorous, and efficient alternative by optimizing the path between source and destination, taking account of a summary objective function of costs and risk factors. However, its implementation often neglects the crucial curvature constraints arising from the flexural rigidity of cables and maneuvering capabilities of the laying vessels in real-world scenarios. In an attempt to address this issue in real-world cable path planning, our work incorporates these constraints. We propose modifying our previous FMM-based work to generate paths by systematically expanding forbidden regions and replacing sharp angular changes with circular arcs of a predefined radius to ensure compliance with the curvature constraints. By factoring curvature into cable system design, we ensure robust, real-world applicability of cable path design methods. While this modification may result in a departure from the FMM’s optimally calculated path, potentially compromising its cost-effectiveness or risk minimization, the adjusted route adheres to essential curvature constraints and the structural integrity of cables. A more rigorously optimal approach to curvature is possible, but its implementation in our context appears to be difficult and does not appear to yield significant improvements. © 2024 IEEE.