A harbor tug became the first vessel to be verified for autonomous collision avoidance in the Port of Singapore.
ABB worked in collaboration with Keppel Offshore & Marine on the project. The successful sea trials involved the Keppel Smit Towage tug Maju 510 which was used to verify autonomous collision avoidance capabilities of ABB Ability Marine Pilot technology in the Port of Singapore.
In what is believed to be an industry-first, the Maju 510 became the first vessel to receive Autonomous and Remote-Control Navigation Notation from ABS and the first Singapore-flagged vessel to receive the Smart (Autonomous) Notation from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).
Maju 510 was also the first to receive ABS Remote-Control Navigation Notation after initial remote operation trials at the Port of Singapore in April 2021. These latest trials verified the next level of autonomy by demonstrating automated situational awareness, collision avoidance, and maneuvering control provided by ABB technology.
During the trials, the 32-meter-long harbor tug demonstrated its ability to autonomously avoid collisions in various scenarios, such as when two other vessels approach simultaneously on colliding paths and when a nearby vessel behaves erratically. The trials were supervised by an onboard tug master.
What I found particularly impressive was how the digital system identified one or several risks in the tug’s planned path and responded to set the vessel on a new, safer course. The vessel performed as if it was operated by an experienced tug master
said Romi Kaushal, Managing Director, Keppel Smit Towage.
