Marine Automation and Autonomous Vehicles
The Society of Maritime Industry (SMI) recently faced a unique set of challenges with the upcoming 2021 Marine Autonomy Challenges (MA Challenges). As the name implies, the contest is focused primarily on autonomy for marine applications. If the past year has shown how rapidly increased reliance on remote-control applications for a wide range of marine operations can boost business productivity and give some glimpse into the future of smart-thinking technologies, then it's time to take another look at the challenges and what the solution may hold for all businesses. Here are some highlights from the Submission of Evidence for the VMT Challenge, which was released in May.
There are many important advances in technology in autonomous underwater vehicle operations that will dramatically improve efficiency in surface vessels. These include state-of-the-art electronics systems, navigation systems, wireless communications, real-time data feeds, and more. For years, this was an area where there was a great deal of technological variation. But the VMT Challenge introduced a fundamental change in this area, namely the use of a modular interface for remotely operated vehicles. This has significant implications for both the design and operation of any mission-critical vessel.
To illustrate how important this is, consider just how many complex and mission-critical U.S. Navy unmanned workboats operate today. Each of these boats carries out a specific job and performs on a daily basis. It's hard to imagine a situation where one of these boats would be allowed to roam autonomously - particularly if that ship were to come under attack or suffer damage. Today, these boats have a number of systems in place to protect them from threats, including firewalls, computer networking, and GPS or sonar tracking. Learn more about Marine Engineering here!
But with autonomous workboats becoming a reality, the time when they can be given more freedom and the decision to do their own thing has arrived. When there are thousands or even millions of U.S. sailors manning an offshore oil rig or a cruise ship, it's not just the personnel who have to worry about staying safe. The ship itself also has to be well-protected from any potential hazard or attack. Its mobility is limited by weather conditions, whereas autonomous workboats can travel around the globe in a matter of hours. All this means that a greater number of boats can now safely operate in difficult situations, which makes them safer and more viable in combat.
Of course, just because autonomous marine vehicles can operate in more difficult conditions doesn't mean that every autonomous vessel is going to be an easy win. As you might expect, the designs and applications of these highly advanced systems are as complex as they get. It's not uncommon for highly skilled operators to spend years perfecting these sophisticated systems before being allowed to take part in actual boat work. That's because they must first be thoroughly tested and proven to work in all situations, before the general public ever gets a chance to test them out. Only then will their abilities to be exposed to the mass general.
It's not just the United States that's putting the final touches on this new era of manned, autonomous vessels. European nations, Japan, Russia, China, and several other nations are also looking into using similar technologies. In fact, it's actually the United Kingdom that is the leader in the development of marine autonomy systems. A number of UK research and technology facilities have been busy studying how autonomous vessels can protect the shipping industry and further decrease the burden of storing and transporting goods, both in dry dock and afloat. For more on unmanned ships, go here.
Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2GQB1iEZic for further details.
