The development of autonomous ships represents a significant technological advance for maritime traffic. What impact will this have on safety at sea?
Types of autonomous maritimes vessels
Sailing without going to sea? It’s now possible, thanks to advances in autonomous ship research. An autonomous vessel is capable of navigating with little or no crew. It can be remote-controlled, semi-autonomously or fully autonomously. Several types of autonomous vessels now exist, including drone boats, unmanned surface vehicles (USV) and maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS).
What are Unmanned Suface Vehicles (USVs) ?
USVs operate without a crew on board. They are often used for specific missions such as monitoring, research or transporting goods in difficult-to-access areas. These vessels are of various sizes and capacities, ranging from small naval drones to large autonomous vessels. Some USVs are already being integrated into maritime operations in Norway and Finland on a pilot scale.
What are Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) ?
MASS, on the other hand, refers to all types of autonomous vessels operating at sea, including military ones. Today, the term is often used in international regulations and studies on maritime safety. They are expressly designed to optimise operational efficiency, while reducing the costs and risks associated with human error at sea.
On a smaller scale, this technology will also be used in the deployment of drone boats. Capable of mapping large areas, these are generally used for monitoring and recognition at sea.
Autonomy levels in shipping
According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), there are currently four levels of autonomy:
- Level 1: the vessel is provided with an automated process and decision support for the crew,
- Level 2: a remotely controlled vessel with a crew on board,
- Level 3: a remotely controlled vessel with no crew on board,
- Level 4: the fully autonomous vessel, making decisions and taking action on its own.
Development of this technology began in the 2010s. Various countries are experimenting. In 2018, in Denmark, the tug Svitzer Hermod carried out autonomous navigation manoeuvres in Copenhagen harbour. A number of private companies, including Rolls-Royce, quickly invested in the technology, and a large number of civil and military projects were launched.
Autonomous Ships: security implications and technological advancements
These ships are expected to transform the maritime security sector. First and foremost, by reducing human risk. In the area of monitoring and control, sophisticated sensors allow the environment to be constantly observed to prevent potential risks. Detectable elements include potential obstacles, weather conditions and suspicious activities such as piracy.
On board, the automation of procedures with no human element means that accidents caused by inattention, lack of experience, error, poor situation management or tiredness can be prevented by following the dedicated algorithm.
This technology will also be especially useful to protect the lives of seamen in high-risk operations, such as in areas affected by natural disasters, active piracy or war zones. Autonomous vessels will also benefit search and rescue (SAR) operations through faster deployment capability. It will now be possible to rescue individuals while avoiding putting other lives at risk.
Since 2010, the technology behind autonomous ships has evolved significantly. The most outstanding developments include:
- Sensor systems and their fusion, such as GPS, LiDAR, radar and sonar;
- Satellite communications, which play an essential role in real-time monitoring
- Advanced AI systems for optimising data analysis and path planning, as well as autonomous decision-making for safer operations.
With these advances come new cyber security challenges. Greater autonomy means more potential security vulnerabilities and therefore greater risk of attack. Navigation and communication systems will be particularly vulnerable to hackers. Effective management of digital systems and adaptation of protection systems are essential. New maintenance processes will also have to be developed to diagnose and repair faults remotely. However, there are as yet no guidelines on this subject.
Economic, operational benefits, and challenges
This technology offers significant advantages. These are primarily operational. These include improved logistics and enhanced safety. But where there are operational benefits, there are also economic ones.
Firstly, it will increase efficiency by optimising navigation patterns. This autonomy will result in a clear reduction in costs, thanks to the lack of crew on board: no more infrastructure or food. This will also increase the loading capacity of the vessel itself.
It should be pointed out that optimising the journey could also have a positive impact on traditional emissions from ships, and therefore on the environment of the roads involved.
With the emergence of this technology on the market, there is no shortage of challenges. In addition to the issue of system reliability and resiliency, social acceptance is a major one. In a world where some people are already talking about oceans without sailors, users of the sea, including traditional crews, will have to learn to trust autonomous systems and to coexist with them.
This means interacting with these ‘ghost’ ships. Staff training will also have to be taken into consideration as connectivity increases. In addition, there is the matter of who would be responsible for an uncrewed accident. To avoid sailing on sight, safety standards will have to be incorporated in the near future.
In fact, the most urgent concern to date is the introduction of appropriate legislation. International maritime law is already evolving to provide a framework. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is leading initiatives to regulate the experimentation of these autonomous ships, particularly MASSs.
Most recently, in May 2024, yet another round of discussions was held on the establishment of a global standard. While the IMO is planning for the mandatory collection of data to come into force on 1 January 2032, it remains to be seen whether the introduction of these global regulations will be overtaken by developments in the technology itself.
At national level, things are going very well too. In October 2021, France promulgated Order no. 2021-1330, establishing a legal framework for the circulation of these vessels in its territorial waters for experimental purposes.
Autonomous Vessels: future outlook and case studies
Current trials include the ROC on the west coast of the Oslofjord. Since 2023 in Norway, Konsberg’s remote operation center (ROC) has been studying several autonomous vessels, including the barges Asko Therese and Asko Marit, which are still manned. Navigation and technical monitoring stations are in constant operation from the ROC.
On site, captains supervise these operations, accompanied by navigators, electronics engineers and chief mechanics. For the time being, a large proportion of the controls can be carried out remotely. Full autonomy (level 4) should arrive shortly, enabling complete functional autonomy by transferring the navigator’s and captain’s commands directly to the operations center.
Some projects are organised around specific themes, such as the ZEA (Zero Emission Activity) project. Its purpose is to design an autonomous, sustainable boat with a significantly reduced environmental impact. To achieve this, it must be based on renewable energy systems and environmentally-friendly materials. A prototype is currently in service.
Autonomous Ships: Balancing Safety and Innovation
While autonomous ships technology represents a major positive development in the maritime industry, it also represents an unprecedented transformation. Maritime safety procedures and recommendations are tending to change drastically, with the increased importance of cyber security at sea, the need for new global regulations, the reduction of errors and a certain socio-professional evolution for seafarers.
According to experts such as Denis Gardin, Director of Innovation at MBDA Systems, ‘innovation must take place within a rigorous security framework, where safety issues are central’. Thus, adopting a risk-based approach and compliance requirements are paramount. Future cooperation and exchange of expertise are crucial, through international or public-private partnerships.
