Last October, a cruise ship sailed 6 miles from dock to dock without the help of a captain at the helm. (A human professional was watching; he just didn’t need to do anything.) Lumière, a ship run by the European river operator Scylla, made the trip safely despite Beaufort 8 crosswinds (34–40 knots) and went through all its docking procedures without a hitch … or any human input.
The feat was accomplished thanks to a number of interrelated systems working to detect load, determine optimum turning acceleration, control engine RPMs, and adjust rudder and pods.
This breakthrough event followed a similar demonstration in 2021. A company named Avikus. successfully operated an autonomous, unmanned cruise ship with 12 passengers on board in Pohang City, South Korea. They dubbed their navigation technology HiNAS (Hyundai Intelligent Navigation Assistant System), using six special cameras and LiDAR scanners to recognize objects around the ship and assess risk of collision.
The market for autonomous navigation technology is expected to reach US$235.7 billion by 2028, according to Acute Market Reports.
Getting a fully autonomous ship that doesn’t require experienced hands to oversee the electronic navigator – and getting the public to trust the tech enough to sail on one – will likely take a few years longer.
By Porthole Cruise and Travel
