In January, we posted about the successful test demonstration of the world’s first fully autonomous ship navigation systems on a large car ferry on a 240-km route from Shinmoji (Northern Kyushu) to Iyonada, Japan.
Now, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line), partnering with Israeli based software platform designers, Orca AI, has demonstrated an autonomous 750 gross-ton commercial cargo ship, Suzaka, on a 40 hour, 500-mile voyage in the congested waters of Tokyo Bay, traveling without human intervention for 99% of the trip.
During Suzaka’s 500-mile voyage, the autonomous cargo ship performed 107 collision avoidance maneuvers without the help of a human. The program director suggests that Suzaka avoided between 400-500 other vessels on the water during its outbound trip alone.
According to Orca AI, its safety navigation system was set up on the cargo ship to operate as a “human watchkeeper,” providing real-time detection, tracking, classification, and range estimation on eighteen onboard cameras, combined to provide a 360° view, day and night.
Thanks to Doug Bostrom for contributing to this post.
And then the fuse blew !!
If one reads he “Rules of the Nautical Road” this is a clear violation of them.
Good Watch – thats a live human Watch please
This technology in combination with two-legged warm blooded watchkeepers will surely deliver a solidly positive result.
By itself? “Things break.” Navigation & guidance is not the whole menu.
A brief visit to Chief Makoi’s Youtube channel helps us to understand how fully autonomous ships will be doubtless very handy in some niche applications but beyond that… hmmm.
In reality and given the proclivities and influence of owners/charterers: ends up like unmanned engine rooms? Fewer deck officers, with unmanned watches? I’m guessing that’s where this is headed.