[imagesource:rollsroyce]

Fresh on the heels of autonomous cars and flying machines, the logical next step seems to be remote-controlled cargo ships. Still, even if shipping automation could reduce human error and increase safety, the UN’s trade body believes many new issues could be created.

Trade across the oceans is one of the oldest forms of commerce, so it’s only natural that it would be in need of an AI overhaul.

With this in mind, Rolls Royce recently released its view of what autonomous shipping would look like, calling it “the next step.”

The company’s Advanced Autonomous Waterborne Applications Initiative is investigating what technologies would be needed to allow a vessel to operate in the ocean on its own. The whole idea is to see if robot ships can be ‘at least as safe as human piloted ones’.

But it’s not as simple as developing the technology and implementing it. The United Nations seem to be concerned that eliminating the “human element” from shipping could “significantly reduce the possibility of human error,” but it could also open up a “Pandora’s box of other risks.”

A publication called Maritime Professionals describes autonomous ships as vessels that can operate ‘without human intervention, or even without humans on board’. These watercraft are fitted with navigation systems and sensors that help the vessels make choices and operate safely.

According to the experts, the idea is that machine-learning algorithms can be used to ‘predict outcomes’ on selected routes and make the operation of the vessel more optimal.

“Autonomous shipping is the future of the maritime industry. As disruptive as the smartphone, the smart ship will revolutionise the landscape of ship design and operations”

There are at least six companies working on automation in shipping, including Rolls Royce, Kongsberg, the Finnish company Wartsila, the U.S.-based non-profit ProMare, a Norway-based company called DNL GL and a Swiss-based company called ABB.

It feels like a foregone conclusion, despite the UN raising the spectre of a ‘Pandora’s Box’. Experts also agree that they will “need the smart people who are going to program those machines to be able to do what we need them to do.”

75-96% of marine accidents are blamed on human error, according to data from Allianz. But data shows that regulations for the autonomous industry always tend to lag behind innovation, as well.

Will robots really be able to replace a salty sea captain that knows the oceans like his own wife? Likely. But there is no shortcut to experience, and with a combined 100 years in this industry, the people at Berry & Donaldson will make sure your goods arrive where they need to be.

Their in-depth knowledge of the shipping industry allows Berry & Donaldson to react quickly to dynamic, unusual events in the logistics world and make decisions swiftly to benefit our clients. Being a family-run business also means you get to deal with people and not an algorithm.

So if you’re importing or exporting via shipping lines or airlines, or need warehousing, insurance, or cargo deliveries – they’re your humans.

[source:scrippsnews&rollsroyce]