Following two years of design, construction, and AI model training, the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) was officially launched in September 2020. Now, the crewless vessel designed to recreate the Mayflower’s historic journey across the Atlantic 400 years ago has crossed the ocean.

The Mayflower Autonomous Ship completed a historic transatlantic voyage from Plymouth, UK, to its North American arrival in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on June 5. In the voyage lasting 40 days, the ship conquered approximately 3,500 unmanned miles (5,600 km) at sea. With no human captain or onboard crew, MAS is the first self-directed autonomous ship with technology that is scalable and extendible to traverse the Atlantic Ocean.

The MAS was designed and built by marine research non-profit ProMare with a number of global partners on board, including Nvidia and IBM. IBM automation, AI, and edge computing technologies power the ship’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Captain to guide the vessel and make real-time decisions while at sea.

The 50ft (15m) long solar-powered trimaran is capable of speeds of up to 10 knots (20km/h) and has 6 AI-powered cameras, more than 30 sensors, 15 Edge devices, navigation tech, and a weather station. All this makes it possible for the AI Captain to adhere to maritime law while making crucial split-second decisions, like rerouting itself around hazards or marine animals, all without human interaction or intervention.

In June 2021, the vessel set sail on its historic journey across the Atlantic, but the attempt was abandoned after just three days of cruising due to a problem with the ship’s hybrid solar-electric/diesel propulsion system.

After investigations, repairs, and fresh on-water testing, the crewless vessel again set off from the UK on April 29 and had been expected to take about three weeks to make the journey. However, it again suffered some technical issues before the decision was made at the end of May to direct the ship to Halifax.

The AI Captain has learned from data, postulates alternative choices, assesses and optimizes decisions, manages risk, and refines its knowledge through feedback, all while maintaining the highest ethical standards. IBM believes that MAS’s experimental voyage will be a catalyst for the advancement of AI and AI-powered automation at the edge in various applications across the industry.

The Mayflower’s journey began in the Atlantic. But this voyage of discovery and technological advancement is only just beginning.

Resource:Autonomous vehicle IBM Ship

Plymouth-based M SUBS Ltd was commissioned to design the 24-meter Oceanus, a fully uncrewed vessel said to be designed as self-righting, light-weight and mono-hulled and capable of carrying an array of monitoring sensors.

Designed primarily to make the transatlantic sampling voyage from the UK to the Falklands, Oceanus will carry an advanced scientific payload and use the latest AI technology to help navigate the best course to its target location, with real-time input from weather forecasts and other marine data feeds, Plymouth Marine Laboratory said.

The development is supported by seed funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

The idea for the vessel was born in the wake of the Mayflower Autonomous Ship. The name Oceanus was the name of the first child to be born on the original Mayflower in 1620.

“This is a hugely exciting venture, with the capacity to revolutionize the way we carry out marine research expeditions and support the drive towards net zero,” said Icarus Allen, chief executive of Plymouth Marine Laboratory.

“The Oceanus will exploit the very latest in AI technology, enabling us to push the frontiers of marine science and open up new opportunities in how we monitor the ocean environment. Not that long ago this would have been the stuff of science fiction fantasy but through the design and development of the Oceanus we are really unlocking the future of ocean-going marine research.”

While it will feature a fuel-efficient diesel engine, Oceanus will be complemented by onboard micro-energy generation devices and solar panels on the deck. With the weight of people and living facilities also removed this is expected to greatly reduce fuel consumption compared to traditional manned research vessels.

The vessel’s Command Centre will be hosted at PML and will display oceanographic conditions in near-real-time across its transect, providing scientists and other users with open access to the latest oceanographic data.

According to Plymouth Marine Laboratory, in situ sampling will still sometimes be needed to validate the autonomously collected data and to perform more complex monitoring and experiments that require proximity to the sample sources, however, autonomy on this scale will allow for radically more responsive and more frequent data collections at a wider range than currently possible, helping to plug any gaps in datasets and greatly improve marine modeling.

Source: Plymouth Marine Laboratory

The MOU, signed at Posidonia 2022, will see collaboration that brings major improvements in Autonomous Ready Ship Design.

LR and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop an autonomous ready ship design to support maritime digitalisation and the growing demand for operational benefits of increased autonomy.

SAS (Samsung Autonomous Ship) is an autonomous navigation system which integrates current navigation equipment, such as ECDIS with TCS (Track Control System), RADAR, CONNING, and remote controlled BMS, with SHI’s new SVISION® system, using technology to eliminate human error which accounts for the majority of maritime accidents. SAS can be installed easily onto a ships system next to other software and evaluates collision risks around a vessel, whilst controlling the direction and speed of a ship in order to avoid objects.

Along with the MOU, LR will certify SHI’s SAS with new SVISION® system used as part of the Autonomous ready ship design. SHI’s SVESSEL® CBM (Condition Based Maintenance) which performs measurement and diagnosis tasks automatically on vessels, will also be certified as part of the Joint Development Project. This will support maintenance by providing remote fault detection of machinery.

LR’s role as part of the MOU will be to perform cooperative studies on autonomous systems in navigational autonomy, including commissioning procedures, guidelines for autonomous systems, verification, and validation activities. This will support SHI with the successful development and implementation of its autonomous system.

LR has also announced the certification of SHI’s digitised electronic logbook system SVESSEL® eLogbook at Posidonia 2022, replacing paper navigation logs with automated data entry from voyage, along with a Statement of Fact for SHI’s SVESSEL® CII Solution that features real-time monitoring and reporting of CII in response to IMO (International Maritime Organisation) greenhouse gas regulations.

The global market for Autonomous Ships, estimated at US$7 Billion in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of US$10.1 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 8.9% over the analysis period.

Growth of the autonomous ships market is expected to be driven by the surge in sea-based trade globally due to its cost effectiveness in comparison to other transport modes, in addition to the shortage of trained and experienced sailors. Globally, cargo to the tune of nearly 1.7 billion tons per annum gets transported in about 180 million containers.

Also, the growing number of marine accidents due to human mistakes, which lead to considerable financial losses and damage to the environment, are fostering interest in autonomous ships. The growth in marine tourism and increasing interest in smart connected ships and vessels with situational awareness are also auguring well for the market.

Also, growing research initiatives and collaborations among companies belonging to various industries in many countries for making the naval structure autonomous are expected to aid market growth. The rising use of connected smart ships, given their various advantages such as fleet health monitoring data and vessel traffic management data are also benefitting the market.

Furthermore, the rising investments being made for the R&D and construction of autonomous ships are also fueling market growth. The use of IoT and other such latest technologies in these ships is also being considered to lower the environmental impact of maritime traffic and make autonomous marine projects more efficient.

Commercial, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 9.4% CAGR to reach US$7.1 Billion by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Defense segment is readjusted to a revised 7.9% CAGR for the next 7-year period. This segment currently accounts for a 37.5% share of the global Autonomous Ships market.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at $1.4 Billion in 2022, While China is Forecast to Reach $1.6 Billion by 2026

The Autonomous Ships market in the U.S. is estimated at US$1.4 Billion in the year 2022. The country currently accounts for a 20.09% share in the global market. China, the world’s second largest economy, is forecast to reach an estimated market size of US$1.6 Billion in the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 10.3% through the analysis period.

Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 6.8% and 8.1% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 9.4% CAGR while Rest of European market (as defined in the study) will reach US$842.2 Million by the end of the analysis period. Europe is a key market for autonomous ships, given its considerable investments in the development of these ships and the huge fleet size.

The growing interest in cruiser power boats and yachts in the region is auguring well for the autonomous ships demand. Further, the growing governmental and organizational investments and efforts in developing these ships are boosting market growth. Also, enterprises are rendering support to government initiatives to make naval vessels autonomous in nature.

North America (including USA and Canada) is another important autonomous ships market, given the significant fleet size and the growing seaborne trade. The market in the region is also benefitting from the increasing recreational activities and tourism. Asia-Pacific autonomous ships market is anticipated to witness healthy growth, supported by growing maritime trade and rising focus on developing sea tourism in the region.

A Chinese shipping magazine has released the clearest photographic evidence yet that the PLA Navy has created a knock-off of the U.S. Navy’s Sea Hunter unmanned surface vessel. Except for the shape of its deckhouse, the 200-ton trimaran prototype could easily be mistaken for the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s research boat.

Naval analyst H.I. Sutton first reported the existence of the boat in 2020, when he posted a social media photo of the vessel and satellite imagery for geolocation. At the time, the unnamed prototype was based at a small shipyard on the Yangtze River near Jiujiang, about 450 river miles inland from Shanghai.

The vessel’s trimaran structure – with two shorter amas attached by twin beams to the longer central hull – is clearly a derivative of the Sea Hunter’s design, while the inward-sloping deckhouse bears a marked resemblance to the Zumwalt-class destroyer’s ziggurat-shaped superstructure.

According to the Weibo account of China Ocean Shipping Magazine, the prototype completed its first navigation test at sea on June 7. Its specifications are roughly comparable to Sea Hunter’s: a speed of more than 20 knots, operational in Sea State 5 or less, and a length of less than 200 feet. It differs in its integration of low-observable (stealth) design, as seen in the shape of its bow and deckhouse.

Chinese state shipbuilder CSSC is also building a much larger autonomous naval vessel prototype with a similar trimaran form factor, as well the world’s first “drone carrier” for deploying AUVs, USVs and UAVs.

Sea Hunter and its sister vessel Sea Hawk operate out of San Diego under the custody of the U.S. Navy’s Unmanned Surface Vessel Division 1. Both prototypes are set to participate in this year’s Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) international exercise off Hawaii, the largest of its kind in the world.

Resource:THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

China’s first domestically developed 200 ton-class unmanned surface vessel, characterized by its capabilities in stealth and far sea operation, has wrapped up its first autonomous sea trial, with analysts saying that drone ships like this can provide new tactics for naval warfare including distributed operations and swarm combat.

The sea trial took place in waters near Panzhi Island in Zhoushan, East China’s Zhejiang Province on Tuesday and ended in success after three hours of data collection, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Thursday.

The vessel has a displacement of about 200 tons, a length of more than 40 meters and a trimaran design. The unmanned surface vessel has a top speed of more than 20 knots, can carry out tasks under sea state 5, or rough waves, and can sail safely under sea state 6, or very rough waves, CCTV reported.

Some of the technical parameters of the vessel, including its detection range, stealth capability, integrated power system and comprehensive environmental awareness, are world-leading, media reports said.

“The voyage results are almost identical to what we expected. Next, we will conduct collision avoidance tests for the drone ship and further examine the vessel’s performance,” Zou Long, the on-site leader of the project, was quoted by chinanews.com as saying.

Zhejiang-based Beikun Intelligent Technology company started the project with research and development in late 2015, aiming to build a hundred ton-class, intelligent, autonomous and highly stealthy unmanned surface vessel with the ability to cruise in high sea conditions while making little noise.

The ship was launched on August 28, 2019 in Jiujiang, East China’s Jiangxi Province, and sailed for 1,000 nautical miles in about 30 voyages in the Boyang Lake before arriving in Zhoushan in 2021, proving its initial navigational capability prior to the first sea trial, the report said.

With characteristics like outstanding stealth and high situational awareness, the drone ship could see military applications and provide many new tactics in naval warfare, a Beijing-based military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Thursday.

There’s no risk of casualties with unmanned equipment, so the drone ship can be sent into dangerous combat zones to carry out reconnaissance, anti-submarine, anti-aircraft or anti-ship missions with corresponding equipment, the expert said.

A group of drone ships can work as vanguards or scouts either for coastal defense or in a flotilla of larger warships with crews at far sea. They can be far away from each other and carry out distributed operations, meaning that enemies will have a hard time taking them out one by one, or they can form a swarm and overwhelm the enemies, the expert explained.

China is building an even more advanced, large drone ship. On May 31, the No.716 Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corp started construction of China’s most advanced large unmanned ship, which is characterized by its high speed, long endurance and fully domestically developed propulsion system.

Bureau Veritas, Laskaridis Shipping and METIS Cyberspace Technology are joining forces on a pilot project to develop a new BV SMART 3 Class notation covering the use of augmented data in ship operations.

The ‘Smartship’ pilot project will focus on developing a range of additional class notations adapted to the latest advances in digitalization technology, with a focus on the augmented ship. The SMART 3 notation will also cover ship to shore connectivity, remote decision support and remote operations.

Paillette Palaiologou, Vice President for Southeast Europe, Black Sea & Adriatic Zone at Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, commented: ‘Digitalisation is transforming the maritime industry, bringing new challenges and opportunities. The new range of notations will help advance the journey towards more digitalized and autonomous ships.

Laskaridis Shipping has worked on applying advanced real time monitoring solutions which help optimise ship efficiency and minimise environmental impacts.

We are very proud to be a partner in the highly innovative SMART certification project,’ said George Christopoulos, Chief Operating Officer, Laskaridis Shipping.

‘We have committed to being at the forefront of maritime digitalization based on the gains these technologies deliver in operational excellence and enhanced ship sustainability.’