Presently, there is an increasing interest in the deployment of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) to support complex ocean operations. In order to carry out these missions in a more efficient way, an intelligent hybrid multi-task allocation and path planning algorithm is required and has been proposed in this paper. In terms of the multi-task allocation, a novel algorithm based upon a self-organising map (SOM) has been designed and developed. The main contribution is that an adaptive artificial repulsive force field has been constructed and integrated into the SOM to achieve collision avoidance capability. The new algorithm is able to fast and effectively generate a sequence for executing multiple tasks in a cluttered maritime environment involving numerous obstacles. After generating an optimised task execution sequence, a path planning algorithm based upon fast marching square (FMS) is utilised to calculate the trajectories. Because of the introduction of a safety parameter, the FMS is able to adaptively adjust the dimensional influence of an obstacle and accordingly generate the paths to ensure the safety of the USV. The algorithms have been verified and evaluated through a number of computer based simulations and has been proven to work effectively in both simulated and practical maritime environments
