Automation and autonomy play a significant role in the shipping industry, paving the way for a more digitalized future and enabling the industry deal with its current smart challenges. Yet, there is confusion between those two terms; so what do we mean when we talk about automation and autonomy within the maritine industry?
In the last quarter of 2019, Wärtsilä signed a contract with Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK) in Finland for the delivery of navigation simulator and specific mathematical models, what are called to be used as an ”essential enabler” for testing autonomous vessels.
The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded an initial £1-million contract to Plymouth-based innovation firm MSubs Ltd to build a test extra-large autonomous submarine. The move seeks to explore the potential capabilities of larger unmanned underwater vehicles in the future.
IBM and Promare, marine research organization, announced that the new “AI Captain”, which will be used by the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) to self-navigate across the Atlantic, is going to be trialled in sea this month.
Following their previous cooperation which resulted in two artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, Awake.AI along with the Silo.AI came in an agreement in order to collaborate on smart ports and vessels’ development.
Abu Dhabi Ports along with the vessel engineer Robert Allan Ltd., shake their hands in order to develop the world’s first fully unmanned autonomous commercial marine tugboats. Specifically, the tugs are expected to join SAFEEN, Abu Dhabi Ports’ service arm, once completed.
During the 2020 SMART4SEA Athens Forum, John Southam, Loss Prevention Executive, The North of England P&I Association Limited, focused on the P&I perspective of autonomous ships and new technologies in general. As he explains, with the emergence of automation, new risks have been born as well, such as new definitions or new roles. Shipping should address these changes and adopt to the new situation.
Robosys Automation Ltd and MARIN shake their hands and inked a cooperation agreement in order to research and develop a new rage of autonomous navigation software systems.
Ocean Infinity is launching a marine technology and data company which will add a fleet of robot vessels the company and by combining technology and sustainability will not need the presence of men onboard.
The European research program “Horizon 2020” funded 20.1 million euros to the Norwegian consortium led by Kongsberg and SINTEF, for its autonomous ships project, one of the largest grands the Norwegian players ever receive.
