Autonomous vessels or driverless vessels can operate themselves and perform necessary functions without any human intervention. These vessels work alongside manned vessels with minimal autonomous-specific regulation. Autonomous ships achieve autonomy by the use of technologies similarly found in autonomous cars and autopilots. Sensors provide data with the help of infrared and visual spectrum cameras supplemented by radar, sonar, lidar, GPS, and AIS which will be able to supply data for navigational use. Mayflower and Zhu Hai Yun are autonomous vessels used for ocean exploration. These unmanned vessel runs on solar energy and uses IBM AI, automation, cloud, and edge technologies to provide a safer, more cost-effective alternative to manned ships.

 

Autonomous ships: Mayflower, and Zhu Hai

The Mayflower Autonomous Ship project is led by marine research organization ProMare with IBM acting as both lead technology partner and lead scientific partner for the project. And China recently launched Zhu Hai Yun, the world’s first AI-powered drone carrier, raises questions like whether such a vessel will be used only for marine research or if such technology could be transferred and used for military applications.

The Zhu Hai Yun or Zhuhai Cloud vessel is not only an unprecedented precision tool at the frontier of marine science, but also a platform for marine disaster prevention and mitigation, seabed precision mapping, marine environment monitoring, and maritime search and rescue. And also Mayflower autonomous systems promise to transform ocean-related industries such as shipping, oil & gas, telecommunications, security & defense, fishing & aquaculture.

Zhu Hai Yun could also be used for military applications and to deploy smart mines. And it is considered a prelude to the People’s Liberation Navy’s Type 076, the Landing Helicopter Dock, which is currently in the development phase and can carry the Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles on its deck. In the future, networks of autonomous research vessels, drones, and submersibles could spend months at sea, allowing human oceanographers more time for data interpretation and action rather than data collection.