An autonomous ship model has been successfully tested in Aker Arctic’s ice model test laboratory in Helsinki, Finland. The demonstration test video shows how the ship model was able to detect obstacles in the ice tank utilizing onboard sensors, maneuver around them without operator input, and moor itself automatically to a target pier.
As explained, the wireless model used in the test is equipped with battery powered propulsion units, data transfer to the “shore facility”, and an autonomous navigation system that routes the vessel around obstacles detected by the onboard sensors.
The various components are connected using Distributed Intelligent Vessel Components (DIVEC), a specially developed network framework that provides a modern protocol for connecting devices and transferring necessary data between them.
Finland has shown an increased interest in the area of remotely controlled and autonomous ships in the last months. Last summer, the country inaugurated the opening of the Jaakonmeri autonomous maritime test area, the first to be globally open for such purpose.
