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Scientific Journal of Control Engineering
June 2013, Volume 3, Issue 3, PP.106-110
Prediction of Ship Roll Based on Second
Diagonal Recurrent Neural Network
Liang Xu
1
, Zhanying Li
2
, Yuzhi Song
3
, Yanping Wang
2

1. Hull Workshop, COSCO (Dalian) ship yard Co., Ltd, Dalian 116113, China
2. School of Electronic Engineering and Automation, City Institute, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116600, China
3. Det Norske Veritas (China) Co., Ltd. Dalian Branch 116011, China
#
Email: l_zy1979@126.com
Abstract
An optimized second diagonal recurrent neural network is proposed to develop a model of prediction of ship rolling motion. This
approach is based on an algorithm of optimization second diagonal recurrent neural networks (OSDRNN). The stochastic gradient
descent algorithm is used to optimize parameters of this network. Using this model to predict the situation of one certain type of ship
sailing in the beam sea condition, simulation results show that the optimization of this network improves network performance and
the generalization performance of the network, and it has higher prediction on the accuracy and forecast rate. The presented network
model used in contrast to SDRNN model can quickly and accurately predict the time series of ship rolling.
Keywords: Second Diagonal Recurrent Neural Network (SDRNN); Stochastic Gradient Descent Algorithm; Time Series
Prediction; Ship Rolling Motion
1 INTRODUCTION
Recently, there have been increasing researches interests of artificial neural networks and many efforts have been
made on applications of neural networks of various fields [1-4]. Neural network was extensively used to study on
nonlinear control system by many scholars. Most researchers used feed-forward neural network, combined with
tapped delays and the back propagation training algorithm (BP) to identify dynamical systems. Then recurrent neural
networks and fully connected recurrent neural networks were developed, but these methods needed long time to
converge at weights. Diagonal Recurrent Neural Network (DRNN) is proposed by Ku Chao-chee and Lee K wang in
1995
[5]
, DRNN has simple structure and easy realization training method. The self-feedback of the hidden neurons
ensures that the outputs of DRNN contain the whole past information of the system even if the inputs of DRNN are
only the present states and inputs of the system. The structure of DRNN may be simple than that of recurrent neural
networks, so it attracted attention by many scholars. However, the recurrent weights are updated only using the
previous state and cant use other states directly. Many scholars started to make the improvement on the basis of it
[6-
12]
. In the literature [12], second diagonal recurrent neural network that contains two recurrent weights for every
hidden neuron was proposed by Ali Kazemy in 2007, more historical states of neurons can be incorporated directly
into the training algorithm in this network. It also raises concern in time series prediction [13-16]. Due to increasing
one feedback weight, the structures and parameters of network become complex, thereby it is not easy to select the
parameters for network during actual systems prediction. This article tries to optimize the parameters of second-
order diagonal recurrent neural network on the basis of literature [16], so that improve the network performance. It is
used for the ship rolling motion prediction, and by contrast of experiment of non-optimized second-order diagonal
recurrent neural network. The accuracy, time and other characters of prediction after optimization of second-order
diagonal recurrent neural network can be evaluated.
This paper is organized as follows. In section II, one SDRNN model is developed. In Section III, the optimized
parameter was considered as to train various weights based on stochastic gradient descent algorithm. In Section IV, a
simulation prediction of ship rolling motion will be given. Finally, concludes the paper.

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2 SECOND DIAGONAL RECURRENT NEURAL NETWORKS
The diagonal recurrent neural network proposed by Ku Chao-chee [5] cannot use previous state more due to only
one feedback weight in the hidden layer. It can be only updated based on the current state so that a certain error
exists in the real-time prediction to dynamic system. Against this defect, Ali Kazemy proposed one improved
diagonal recurrent neural network with two feedback weights based on DRNN network, called second diagonal
recurrent neural network (SDRNN). This network includes two feedback weights, and it can bring more historical
states into learning methods. Compared to DRNN network, it has more rapid and accurate identifications. It is also
concerned with respect to prediction of time series. SDRNN network structure is shown in Fig. 1.
uik
C jk
Ok
W ij
W j
O
I

TD TD
W j
D1
W j
D2
Sjk

FIG.1 SECOND DIAGONAL RECURRENT NEURAL NETWORK STRUCTURE
Mathematical model for this network is given by
( ) ( ) ( )
o
y k O k W S k = =
( ) ( ( )) S k f C k =
1 2
( ) ( 1) ( 2)
D D I
C k W U W S k W S k = + +
(1)
Where f function. It consists of three layers: input layer, hidden layer and output layer. The number
of neurons of each layer is n , h and 1 respectively.
I
W is n h dimensional matrix,
1
D
W ,
2
D
W is h h dimensional
matrix,
O
W is 1 h dimensional matrix, dynamic training algorithm for second Diagonal recurrent neural network is
in reference [12]and not described in this article.
3 PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION OF SDRNN
When applying SDRNN to forecast practical problems, the choice of parameters is one important factor to affect the
accuracy. The selection of network parameters will be different due to different objects of prediction. The current
parameter choice is normally based on the previous experiences, but it will ignore the unique character of predicted
objects with fully depending on experiences. Once the objects are changed, it results in the poor forecasting. So it is
very important to select optimized parameters for model when carrying out the model prediction. To verify the
performance of new network, the optimization of parameters must be considered. In SDRNN neural network, its
main parameters include input weights matrix
I
W , hidden layer weights matrix,
1
D
W ,
2
D
W and output layer weights
matrix
O
W .
I
W ,
1
D
W and
2
D
W are built before network learning,
O
W is to be calculated after learning. Therefore,
optimizing network parameters is optimization of
I
W ,
1
D
W and
2
D
W . Directly optimize matrix is more difficult, so
the article improves formula (1) in order to solve this problem.
1 2
1 2
( ) ( 1) ( 2)
D D I
C k W U W S k W S k o | | = + +
(2)
I
W ,
1
D
W and
2
D
W are unit matrix, o is scale factor of input layer weights,
1
| and
2
| are scale factors of hidden
layer feedback weights. The network hidden layer after modification has three more parameters compared with
original SDRNN network. The structures of network can be optimized through optimizing these three parameters. By
using method of stochastic gradient descent to optimize these three parameters, let ( ) y k and ( )
d
y k be the real and
desired outputs respectively. e( ) k is the error between the plant and the network response. The error cost function is
defined by E( ) k .
( ) ( ) ( )
d
e k y k y k =


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2 1
( ) ( ) ( )
2
d
E k y k y k =

According to LMS rule, o ,
1
| and
2
| are optimized by stochastic gradient descent algorithm. Taking o as example,
q is parameter update rate of o , the parameter update formula is as follows:
( )
( 1) ( ) ( )
E k
k k o o q
o
c
+ = +
c

( ) ( )
( ) [ ]
T O
E k S k
e k W
o o
c c
=
c c

1
' 2
1 2
( ) ( 1) ( 2)
( ( )) (
D I D
S k S k S k
f C k W U W W | |
o o o
c c c
= + +
c c c

In the same way
1 1
' 2
1 2
1 1 1
( ) ( 1) ( 2)
( ( )) ( ( 1)
D D D
S k S k S k
f C k W S k W W | |
| | |
c c c
= + +
c c c

1 2
' 2
1 2
2 2 2
( ) ( 1) ( 2)
( ( )) ( ( 2)
D D D
S k S k S k
f C k W W S k W | |
| | |
c c c
= + +
c c c

4 SIMULATION OF PREDICTION OF SHIP ROLLING MOTION
A ship has six degrees of free movements in waves: rolling, pitching, yawing, swaying, surging, and heaving.
Among them, rolling has the biggest influence on ships movements, if the rolling angle under the function of wind,
wave and flows can be predicted beforehand, which will be very important because if one can look 5 to 10 seconds
ahead of time, then one can time the landing to avoid a serious crash in the case of aircraft landing. However it is
very difficult to forecast and analyze the time series due to the serious effect on non-linear factor of ship motion.
Based-on NN models have been successfully applied and well accepted in numerous practical problems [17-20].
Literature [16] proposes one way that using second-order diagonal recurrent neural network to forecast the ship
rolling motion, and achieve better results. On this basis, the optimized SDRNN network used for simulation
prediction of ship rolling motion has been provided in article. Meanwhile, the results compared with original
SDRNN network are also given.
The proposed approach was programmed based on the platform Matlab7.1. Below is one typical example of time
series prediction of ship rolling motion, using SDRNN neural network and OSDRNN neural network separately to
carry on the prediction of ship rolling motion. The data used for this prediction are from experimental data of one
certain vessel navigating on the beam sea condition. There are 1012 data (506s), 400s of which are used for learning
and 401s-420s are used for predicting the efficiency of test model and algorithm.
Structure of the network is selected 2-15-1. The network has two inputs which are roll angles of the current time
measured and the moment before network output; Select 15 delay self-feedback neurons in hidden layer; network
output is predicted roll angle in the next time. Using of parameter optimization SDRNN to predict, and compare
the results with SDRNN network. Parameter update rate =0.1 q , Based on least squares criterion, the stochastic
gradient descent algorithm is used to optimize
I
W ,
1
D
W and
2
D
W , the initial value of o ,
1
| ,
2
| is 1, optimized
parameters by calculation is 0.6232 = o ,
1
0.7561 = | ,
2
0.0231 = | .
Prediction of Ship rolling motion based on SDRNN and OSDRNN are shown in Fig. 2, Fig.3 shows predicted error curves.
In Fig. 2, the red real line is actual output from system, the blue dot line is predicted output of SDRNN, and the black
dash line is predicted output of OSRDNN. In Fig. 3, the blue real line is predicted error curves of SDRNN, and the
black dash line is predicted error curves of OSDRNN.
From the comparison of the two forecasting results, the optimized SDRNN network has a better prediction in
accuracy and speed. Taking forecast of 40 steps and 20 seconds for example, the RMS error predicted by optimized
SDRNN network is 0.0085 and increases three time compared with RMS error 0.0295 by original SDRNN network.
And in contrast to the same environment with network drilling 2000 steps and MSE 0.001, the optimized SDRNN

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network uses only 18.5601s and is less than 3s with regard to 21.9197 s by non-optimized SDRNN from the
beginning of training to the end of prediction. Taking the minimum training error as target to optimize the network
parameters, which can be provided based on different objects. It improves performance and generalization functions
of network. But the forecast accuracy is still too large after 17 seconds, which relates to the characteristics of
memory fading in recurrent network.
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
-3
-2.5
-2
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
1
t/s
r
o
l
l

a
n
g
l
e
/

prediction of ship rolling motion

real
prediction of SDRNN
prediction of OSDRNN
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
-0.5
-0.4
-0.3
-0.2
-0.1
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
prediction error curve
t/s
e
r
r
o
r


SDRNN
OSDRNN
SDRNN
OSDRNN

FIG.2 PREDICTION RESULTS OF SDRNN AND OPTIMIZED SDRNN FIG.3 PREDICTION ERROR CURVES OF SDRNN AND OPTIMIZED SDRNN
5 CONCLUSIONS
In the work presented here, this article come up with one new method to predict time series for ship rolling motion.
An application of optimized second diagonal recurrent neural networks to the prediction of ship roll motion has been
described. The optimization of this network improves network performance and the generalization
performance of the network, and it has better predicted accuracy and forecast rate contrast to SDRNN model. The
main goal of this paper is to provide ship roll motion data to a detection forecasting results based on optimized
SDRNN.
Although the study has been limited to predicting of ship rolling motion, the application of this method to any other
type of ship motion. Our future work in this line will be focused on improving prediction time. At the same time, it
will also be necessary to compare the forecast results obtained with the recurrent neural network method to other
time series forecasting approaches that could be appropriate for dealing with the highly nonlinear phenomena in ship
rolling motion.
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AUTHORS
1
Liang Xu was born in Shandong, China,
on March 31, 1978. Bachelor's degree in
Shipbuilding Engineering at the Harbin
Engineering University, in 2002.
Engineer. Mr. Xus areas of interest is
Hull Design.
2
Zhanying Li was born in Jilin, China,
on August 1, 1979. Ph.D. degree in
Pattern Recognition and Intelligent
Systems at the Harbin Engineering
University, in 2012. Associate professor.
Dr. Lis areas of interests are intelligent
control, neural networks and time series
prediction.
3
Yuzhi Song was born in Harbin, China,
on January 17, 1980. Master's degree in
ship and ocean structure's design and
construction at the Harbin Engineering
University, in 2006. Assistant Engineer.
Mr. Songs areas of interest are Hull
Design and homonized common structure
rules.