- Written by Jonathan Amos, Rebecca Morrell, Alison Francis
- BBC Science News
image source, BBC/Kevin Church
Large robot ships like this are rapidly being put into practical use around the world.
Sounds like science fiction. An ocean-going ship with no one on board. But this vision of the future will come sooner than you think.
A huge lime green ship can be seen sailing through the Norwegian fjords. At first glance, it looks like any other ship. But if you look closely, you suddenly see all the high-tech kit. Cameras, microphones, radar, GPS, and all kinds of satellite communications.
“We added a lot of additional equipment and specifically designed her to be what we would call a ‘robot,'” says U.S.-British company Ocean Infinity (OI), responsible for remote systems. says Colin Field.
The vessel is part of OI’s new Armada, an eventual fleet of 23 vessels that will survey the seabed for offshore wind operators and inspect underwater infrastructure for the oil and gas industry. It’s planned.
Amazingly, there are only 16 people on board the 78-meter (255-foot) ship. A conventional ship doing the same type of work would require a crew of 40 to 50 people, but OI believes crew numbers can be further reduced.
Many of their roles can be performed hundreds of miles away on land.
image source, BBC/Kevin Church
Marian Meza Chavira learns to operate an underwater robot from a remote control center
Walking into the company’s remote operations center in Southampton is like walking into a futuristic movie set. The dimly lit room is vast and filled with 20 “bridge stations” each fitted with game-like controls and touch screens.
An operator seated in a high-backed chair watches a series of monitors displaying live streams from the ship’s cameras and numerous sensors.
A key test of this new way of working will be commanding an underwater robot, or remotely operated vehicle (ROV), to descend from the deck and scan the ocean floor.
“It’s amazing how automated everything is,” says ROV trainee pilot Marian Meza Chavira. “In some ways it’s easier here than overseas because there are so many cameras to keep track of the situation.”
Autonomy, robotics, remote control and artificial intelligence will transform all transportation sectors. Maritime affairs are no exception, with experiments being carried out all over the world.
image source, Getty Images
The Yara Birkeland transports fertilizer to the port for export.The plan is to operate without a crew.
For example, in Norway, an 80-meter (262-foot) electric container ship plies between a fertilizer factory and a local port. In Belgium and Japan, ferries exist that navigate autonomously between destinations, leaving and landing at each location. And in China, large self-driving container ships are plying between coastal cities.
The benefits are obvious. With fewer people on board, the ships will be smaller, requiring less fuel and significantly reducing carbon emissions.
Rudi Negenborn studies autonomous navigation at Delft University of Technology. He said the high-tech systems needed to completely replace crews are being developed rapidly, but there is still a long way to go.
He told BBC News: “We’ve had autopilots where ships follow their own routes. It’s not that difficult. It’s not difficult to do that when interacting with other traffic or ports, or when unforeseen circumstances or bad weather occur. That’s when problems arise,” he said.
“But ultimately this will lead to safer, more efficient and more sustainable water transportation. I’m confident in that.”
image source, Getty Images
Robots working together: In Rotterdam, guided trolleys move containers around the port
The 12m Vaquita can deploy ROVs and sensors into deep water and retrieve them.
Robot ships: a technology that will revolutionize maritime transport
Some small vessels are already allowed to sail without anyone on board.
British company Sea-Kit International is designing and building a fleet of these unmanned boats.
We followed a 12 meter long boat fresh from the factory as it left Plymouth Harbor to inspect a World War II shipwreck. The bright red vessel, called Vaquita, was built for the Dutch surveying company Fugro.
image source, SEA-KIT/NIWA-Nippon Foundation/TESMaP
Robotic ships can perform dangerous tasks such as mapping the calderas of still-active underwater volcanoes
It captures a lonely figure grazing the waves. It is fully controlled by its crew from its Aberdeen office, 775 miles away.
Captain Dmitry Dadishin’s orders came via satellite, and the porpoise nimbly swerved in one direction and then the other. An ROV is deployed to search for the sunken destroyer. Meanwhile, a surface camera gives her a 360-degree view of the surrounding waters.
“It’s more fun to work like this,” says Dmitrij, who spent many years at sea.
“Pitching and rolling are a must, and when your shift is over, you can go home.”
image source, BBC/Kevin Church
Connectivity: Sea-Kit/Fugro boats have four independent satellite systems and cellular links.
As with self-driving cars and trains, and the drones that are increasingly filling our skies, many questions come to mind about remote-controlled and self-driving transportation.
How will these technologies change the nature of work? Can they create new and different types of jobs to replace those they eliminate? How secure are the systems being developed?Cyber Can they protect against attacks and piracy? More fundamentally, are they sufficiently robust and reliable? What happens if the satellite link fails?
“Everything we do starts with a safety perspective,” says Sea-Kit Operations Director Ashley Sketto from a workshop where her team is putting the finishing touches on another unmanned boat.
“When this ship is at sea, there is no one on board to repair it if something goes wrong, so we have to have fallback systems readily available. It’s built in two parts and has two of everything, and there’s some clever stuff built into the software that allows the boat to seamlessly switch between systems.”
image source, BBC/Kevin Church
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is currently working on all issues surrounding maritime autonomy. The aim is to introduce voluntary regulations defining best practices by 2028, and eventually make them mandatory.
Currently, large ships are required to have a captain, or captain, to accompany them at sea.
“We will specifically consider the role of the captain and onboard officers from the perspective of a remote control center,” IMO Director Heike Deghim said.
“Do you think the remote control operator is equivalent to the master of the ship? This requires further research.”
image source, BBC/Kevin Church
Simon Macaulay, Captain of Ocean Infinity: ‘We are increasing our knowledge and safety efforts’
“There’s a huge industry coming and the government clearly doesn’t want to miss out on the opportunity. They want companies to invest here and operate ships from here,” said Haines & Boon resident shipping agent. Solicitor Fiona Kane said.
Back in the Norwegian fjords, Ocean Infinity captain Simon Macaulay definitely has his eyes on the horizon.
“We could foresee a situation where a captain would be in charge of a ship remotely, or even multiple ships remotely. Obviously that would require a change in the law, and part of what we are building here. It’s a case of knowledge and safety. We’re transmitting.” This is possible because we can send probes and satellites to the other side of the solar system. ”
Additional reporting by Kevin Church