Maritime service provider KOTUG International, ship design company Rotortug, and tech start-up Captain AI demonstrated Monday the first boat in the world that sails the most optimal route without human intervention, marking a milestone on the way towards fully autonomous sailing.
One of the world’s full autonomous ships, the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS), will be launched on September 16th in Plymouth, UK.
The US Navy has awarded contracts totaling $41,985,112 to six companies for Large Unmanned Surface Vessel (LUSV) studies. The Navy sees great potential to unmanned surface vessels which could augment its fleet in the years to come.
Norwegian Kongsberg Maritime and Massterly -a joint venture between Kongsberg and Wilhelmsen- have signed with the Norwegian grocery distributor ASKO to equip two new vessels with autonomous technology, and to manage their operations at sea. The fully electric ships will replace 2 million km of truck transport, saving 5,000 tonnes of CO2 every year.
2020 is proving to be a crucial year in the development of technologies and initiatives relating to maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS). In what is seen as the point of departure for regulators, the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee is set to conclude an initial scoping exercise into the application of IMO regulations in the context of MASS.
Ship autonomy tests show that a range of technologies can do the job, but clear definitions of different levels of automation, standards and regulations are urgently needed. Free from the burden of day to day commercial manoeuvring, industry alliance One Sea has the clarity of vision to guide shipping to its digital destiny.
The British Ports Association announced the launch of a new initiative looking at the implications of autonomous shipping for UK ports and exploring what the future developments of shipping will mean for the sector. The initiative includes a call for evidence from interested parties.
Representatives from flag, coastal and port authorities from China, Denmark, Finland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Republic of Korea, and Singapore launched the MASSPorts initiative.
The first uncrewed yacht vessel designed has been launched, based on new technologies and reducing the environmental impact of superyacht operations.
Puglia Region, recently gave its approval for the “Marin” (Remote integrated naval environmental monitoring) initiative, with a total investment of over € 6 million on three years duration.
