Tag: autonomous ships

On the sidelines of CMA’s Shipping 2018 earlier in March, Ms. Mayte Medina of USCG said increasing efficiency and reducing cost, increasing environmental concerns and safety are all drivers in the industry’s advancement towards autonomous shipping. As such, IMO must ensure the future regulatory regime is fair and consistent.

The UK Department of Transport informed that innovative technology such as autonomous ships and digital ports will be on the agenda with the appointment of a group of experts to help advise on the future of maritime. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling announced the appointment of the team, as well as a call for evidence on Maritime 2050, to give opportunities to young people who want to work in the maritime sector.

According to the report "Future of the sea", the shipping industry is a vital part of the UK economy, as 95% of imports and exports are carried by sea. The UK maritime sector is the largest in Europe, worth an estimated £14.5 billion. Growing population and development will increase the demand for the transport of goods and the drive to mitigate against climate change will put pressure on the shipping industry to lower CO2 emissions.

Rolls-Royce's MAXCMAS research project found that the use of newly developed algorithms allowed existing COLREGs to remain relevant in a crewless environment, and that Artificial Intelligence-based navigation systems can comply with the rules to avoid collision effectively, even when approaching manned vessels were interpreting the rules differently.

Speaking at Shipping 2018, the Connecticut Maritime Association’s annual conference, Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, IACS Chairman and CEO of DNV GL – Maritime, looked at some of the initiatives taken at the International Association of Classification Societies that were changing the organisation.

During IACS’ 76th Council Meeting, the members that participated viewed IACS' new initiatives, which aim at the development and implementation of new technologies, including ship autonomy. IACS updated the participants regarding recent developments on its current work and plans, including cyber security and preparation for the 2020 sulphur cap and cyber safety.

The Japan Coastguard announced the expansion of their Wave Glider fleet to the 9th Regional District, headquartered in Niigata, Japan, in an attempt to enhance their commitment to ocean monitoring. Current and historical oceanographic data helps the commercial and tourism industries with have an insight into weather patterns and ocean conditions.

UK's maritime industry is on the verge of a technological revolution that could make shipping faster, safer and more environmentally friendly, was the key message of the Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, outlining his vision for the UK to be at the forefront of a maritime technology revolution.

South Korea and Denmark have announced expansion of their cooperation seeking to enhance global marine navigation systems and develop technologies for automated ships, according to South Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

Soren Skou, the CEO of one of the world’s biggest shipping companies, Maersk, claimed that is very unlikely for the shipping industry to see container vessels operating without humans in the immediate future. Even though Maersk has significantly reduced crew sizes to promote automation, a complete lack of humans onboard ships is not feasible right now.