Real maritime measurement-driven machine learning for path loss modeling in shore-to-ship wireless links

Reliable propagation modeling remains a fundamental requirement for the design and deployment of maritime wireless communication systems, particularly in shore-to-ship scenarios characterized by highly variable environmental conditions. Unlike conventional empirical and deterministic models that rely on theoretical assumptions, the proposed approach is entirely measurement-driven, enabling more accurate and robust propagation modeling. Four regression algorithms—Gaussian Process Regression, Least Squares Boosting, Decision Tree, and Support Vector Regression—are evaluated using a feature set that includes transmission distance, sea state, weather conditions, and antenna configurations. Among the tested models, the Decision Tree achieves the best performance, with an RMSE of 1.18 dB and an R2 of 0.96, corresponding to an error reduction of approximately 45.6% compared to the best-performing empirical model. Feature importance analysis shows that transmission distance and antenna geometry dominate signal attenuation, while environmental variables have a limited influence at this frequency. Unlike most existing studies that emphasize deep learning or black-box models, this work demonstrates that lightweight and interpretable regression models can achieve comparable accuracy while enabling real-time link planning and practical deployment. The focus is on engineering applicability rather than proposing new learning architectures. Overall, the results indicate that measurement-driven machine learning provides accurate and interpretable solutions for shore-to-ship path loss modeling under real maritime conditions.