![]() To help us understand these developments, I think we need to make some comparisons to the car industry and see what’s happened there. The massive investment in research and development for driverless cars has not yet led to successful widespread deployment of driverless cars. For most ships the equipment is rudimentary or prehistoric in comparison, and that’s even the case for many new ships being launched. We see videos and photos of fully autonomous ships. We have autonomous container terminals, autonomous trains, and now smaller unmanned surface vessels. Will unmanned bridge status be the next step? In 50 years’ time, will we look back at pilots climbing pilot ladders as some archaic unsafe practice of days gone by?Īutomation is all around us. ![]() Elsewhere on board, the unmanned machinery space would horrify engineers of yesteryear. Autopilots have advanced significantly since then, evolving into track pilots which can follow ECDIS routes and even Dynamic Positioning systems which can manoeuvre ships in close proximity to offshore infrastructure under the careful oversight of highly qualified Nautical Institute certified Dynamic Positioning Officers. The first developments can be traced back to 1920, when the first autopilot was introduced onboard ships. In fact, automation has been coming for a very long time. Our junior officer might need to learn new skills as her career develops, but she will still have a role. The ship was ‘manned’ – but automated systems performed essential navigation and collision avoidance manoeuvres.ĭespite this concern, the overwhelming verdict of the recent ATAG roundtable discussion was that: ‘Automation is coming but it won’t replace seafarers’. Some of her concern is understandable, given developments like the recent arrival 180,000 cu.m LNG carrier Prism Courage at the Boryeong LNG Terminal in South Korea after a world-first 33 day voyage from the Freeport LNG terminal, Texas using autonomous navigation. I asked her what her plans for her future career were did she want to become a Captain? She replied that she didn’t know whether Captains would still be needed in the future and was uncertain what her career would involve. I was recently onboard a ship in my capacity as a Pilot, talking to a newly qualified Korean junior officer. We are committed to representing the interests of Nautical Institute members as we embark on this evolution of technology in the maritime industry. Until recently, the dialogue around automation and autonomy has been dominated by non-mariners, alienating the knowledgeable and experienced mariners who know and understand the unforgiving and harsh nature of shipping in the high seas. We brought together an eclectic group of incredible mariners, most of whom are at the forefront of technology working for companies leading the way with autonomous shipping. In July 2021 The Nautical Institute launched the Automation Technical Advisory Group, otherwise known as ATAG. This should include how these technologies work, their benefits and limitations and how to address the human-machine interface and human factors issues. The Nautical Institute recognises this and is committed to providing a mechanism for members to learn more about a wide range of evolving technologies in the navigation space (in the wheelhouse) Like every industry, the maritime industry is experiencing a digital transformation, with an increase in automation and digital technologies.
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