There is some big news today in the world of autonomous shipping. Boston-based Sea Machines Robotics announced plans to use an autonomous, remote-controlled ocean-going tugboat for 1,000 nautical miles.
The milestone voyage will take place later this month using the Tug HMS Nellie, which will sail around Denmark. Sea Machinery said the voyage will mark the landing moment for autonomous transport and will prove that the world's waterways are ready for remote autonomy.
The tugboat will depart from Hamburg, Germany, on September 30, under the authority of the U.S. commander and under the full vessel control of autonomous technical management. The two officers will remain on board throughout the voyage. When the ship docks at ports along the way to demonstrate and demonstrate the technology, occasionally passengers are allowed to board the ship.
The project was named the Machine Odyssey, which is a tribute to Homer's Odyssey and transformed it into a long-term goal-driven and eventful autumn journey.
The map shows the sailing route of the machine Odyssey event. Credits: marine machines and robots
Nelly Bly is a modern tugboat designed and built by the Dutch Daman Shipyard. The name is a tribute to the American journalist, industrialist, inventor and philanthropist who is widely known for her 72 days of ultra-bold and record-breaking solo travel around the world.
At the helm will be the Sea Machines SM300 autonomy system, a comprehensive sensor-to-propeller autonomous system that uses advanced path planning, obstacle avoidance replanning, vectorized NALT data, and dynamic domain awareness to control the range from start to finish. The SM300 provides remote human commanders with an active chart environment with real-time enhanced coverage maps showing mission, ship status, situational awareness, and environmental data, as well as real-time shipboard audio and video from multiple streaming cameras.
"Throughout time immemorial, the ocean has been driving the best innovations for humanity, designed and built by architects and engineers, and deployed by a special group of selected people — seafarers — who, today and in the future, depend on large segments of society for food, electricity, water, goods and transportation. As a leader in the technology space, Ocean Machines believes that it is our responsibility to enter new waters, move forward in any and all uncertain fogs, and prove value in our planned technology path," said Michael Johnson, CEO of Ocean Machines.
"Just as other land-based industries have shifted repetitive, manual drudgery from humans to predictable robotic systems, our autonomous technology has elevated humans from controllers to commanders, with much of the direct and continuous control work being managed by technology. This recast human-technology relationship is the foundation of a new era of maritime opera that will give the water industry more competitive tools and capabilities, ending the erosion of aviation and highways by high-value cargo, getting more ships launched, operating in better harmony with the natural marine environment, and providing new products and services," Johnson said.
Founded in 2015, Sea Machines is a pioneering market leader in autonomous command control and advanced sensing systems in the marine industry.