Wärtsilä, the Finnish technology group, conducted a successful round of tests on its automated dock-to-dock solution. The system was tested on ‘Folgefonn’ ferry, which visited all three ports serviced by the vessel, with the autonomous operation being utilised uninterrupted for the entire route.
The testing was conducted in the presence of the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA). The test began when the operator chose the vessel’s next destination by selecting ‘sail’, which enables the autonomous controller control the vessel. The ferry left the dock, manoeuvred out of the harbour, sailed to the next port, manoeuvred through the harbour entrance, and docked alongside the terminal.
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Moreover, all vessel’s action occurred without any human interference. It is thought to be the first fully automated voyage dock-to-dock for a vessel of this size. The navigation of the vessel is controlled through the use of a series of tracks and waypoints, which guide the ship to its next destination.
The autonomous controller, controls the vessel’s speed, position on the pre-defined track, and heading. GNSS is used as the primary sensor, while a Wärtsilä Guidance Marine CyScan AS is being tested as a secondary position sensor for the approach to the berth.
The ‘Folgefonn’ vessel belongs to Norwegian ferry operator Norled. It was used also for the initial testing of the Wärtsilä autodocking solution, which took place in the early part of 2018. The vessel includes innovations such as a wireless inductive battery charging solution and energy storage systems.
Finally, innovation Norway, an investment fund, has provided grants to both Wärtsilä and Norled for the testing of the auto-docking technology.
