The Autonomous Ship Technology Symposium 2021 conference
brought together the largest public and private entities in maritime autonomy.
Over the span of two days, leading stakeholders discussed the full range of
issues in the field, including current and future IMO actions; cybersecurity;
data management; real-world USV interaction; control systems;
collision/obstacle avoidance; and the future of mariners in the autonomous
world.
Worldwide, there are now more than 1,000 maritime autonomous
surface ships (MASS) operated by more than 53 organizations. These vessels work
alongside manned vessels with minimal autonomous-specific regulation. With this
lack of guidance in mind, the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
presented the results of its latest autonomous scoping exercise and its road
map for autonomous regulation. Items under consideration include remote control
station regulation; determination of remote operators as mariners; autonomous
shipping SOLAS equipment requirements; and regional-specific regulations.
Though the task remains large, this gap analysis was the first step towards
autonomous regulation by the IMO.
The conference’s second day delved into the utilization of
the 1,000 active unmanned surface vessels in operation around the world. Both
Flemish and Dutch marine institutes are investing in inland autonomy programs
in the hopes of reducing reliance on large-scale trucking. This effort will
reduce the pressure on roads, ease traffic congestion, and minimize fossil fuel
emissions.
The Flemish Smart Shipping program is an active autonomous
initiative utilizing the 1,000-plus kilometers of Belgium’s inland canals and
rivers. Its four-pronged approach combines minimally crewed autonomous ships
with a smart infrastructure utilizing automated canals and locks. This is all
possible through a waterborne communication network, allowing the vessels to
interact with the smart infrastructure. New Flemish regulations give the
autonomous vessels a legal means to operate. Smart Shipping is active in the
Flemish countryside with vessels controlled by a master or mate from a
centralized station. The program includes inland barges and vessels seeking and
removing large floating debris from the waterways.
In the Netherlands, the City of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam
Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions are working with the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to produce a fleet of autonomous
vessels name RoBoat. The partners hope this autonomous network will fill the
canals and waterways of Amsterdam with a modular vessel that can be outfitted
for household waste removal, logistics movement and ferry operations, all based
on the same hull design. This design uses a LIDAR sensor pod and an HD camera
to plot a safe route through the city, and it can be seen in testing in
Amsterdam. The development of RoBoat is a potentially profitable green venture,
as other cities, including Copenhagen, Paris, and Tokyo have expressed interest
in the modular USV.
Meanwhile, L3Harris’ autonomous vessel team has taken on the
challenge of differentiating among the many kinds of vessels on the water,
which all have their own right-of-way status under COLREGS. Using sensor data,
the USV can determine which type of vessel it is interacting with and perform
accordingly. The system factors in other vessel types and their current path in
order to predict which way the vessel will move.
On the second day of the conference, participants discussed
how mariners will work alongside autonomous systems. The skills needed for the
next generation of deck and engineering officers will be different than those
required until now. To prepare officers for this different environment, the
Italian Shipping Academy has established a cadet training program, which
focuses on the digitalization and automation of both manned and unmanned
vessels. The training combines technical competencies in electronics,
engineering, data analysis, and digital technologies with the soft skills of
decision-making, problem solving and situational awareness. The academy
believes that this split approach will prepare cadets for a career on board, as
well as a role manning digital bridge at a remote control station.
All of the presentations emphasized that the technology for
autonomous ships is here and in use. Purpose-built autonomous ships are already
leaving the prototype stage, and hybrid manned/unmanned training at the cadet
level is being developed and tested. The next generation of ships and shipping
is upon us.