XOCEAN, an Irish startup, managed to float uncrewed surface vessels (USV), which deploy sensors that are capable of collecting data.
This data will be shared through satellites to respective experts onshore, with XOCEAN believing that the mechanism can improve safety while reducing the cost and emission resulting from ocean-specific surveys.
XOCEAN’s vessels use light detection algorithms and ranging (lidar) methodologies to detect objects that are nearby. Moreover, there is a USV pilot as well as a surveyor monitoring active vessels. They are also capable of controlling navigation if the vessel goes off track and ensures that it follows all rules of the road when at sea.
However, XOCEAN is not the only company that is riding the wave of change. More specifically, L3Harris’s unmanned vessels have been operated by the US Navy and the Saildrone. The company has collected data from the Arctic to the equator as part of its extensive environmental research.
Nevertheless, according to CNN, ensuring the safety of marine regulators has been a challenge. USV operators need to demonstrate that their vessels match the prescribed level of safety, including how the boat would react in case of a collision, or what would happen if there is an unforeseen failure or a lag between the operator working remotely and the vessel.
