Autonomous shipping is more than a decade away, according to most respondents of a new smart shipping survey.
Some 41% of those questioned by Seatrade Maritime News thought that the ‘unmanned vessel’ was some years away although a sizeable minority – 35% – thought it would arrive in between five and 10 years’ time.
Seatrade Maritime News has published a White Paper about the issue, which echoes our own article of November 2016 published in Shipping and Marine.
Our Managing Director Captain Malcolm W Parrott explored the potential for vessels of the future – from autonomous shipping with ‘transparent hulls’ and mastless decks to drone operator radar and holographic command centres.
He concluded: “Time – and tide – wait for no man or woman.
“Pushing the boundaries with visionary and innovative thinking and cutting edge technology has to be the way forward whatever the sector.
“It is tempting to think the future has arrived but many of our visions for 2166 or even 2066 are really based on the most advanced technology of today – or what we can conceive as the technology of tomorrow – rather than the actual demands of the future.
“Are these realistic visions? Only time will tell; vessels of 2066 or 2166 may well look as alien to us as ships of today would look to mariners of a hundred years ago.”
With the rise of AI, machine learning, disruptive technology and the Internet of Things, technology is inevitably going to impact on the maritime sector.
At TMG we remain informed about the latest developments while continuing to draw on our many years of professional experience to provide the highest-quality services.
Read Malcolm’s article here and visit Seatrade Maritime News for more details about the White paper here.