Challenges in Implementing Autonomous Ships

Running head: AUTONOMOUS SHIPPING OPERATION
Autonomous Shipping Operation
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1AUTONOMOUS SHIPPING OPERATION
Introduction
Autonomous vehicles are seen in land-based transport modes and a wide variety of the
autonomous vehicles are seen in the modern container terminals, automated guided vehicles,
self-driving intralogistics vehicles and automated subways. Likewise, wide range of approaches
pertaining to the autonomous control concepts are used in the field of modern aviation. Similarly,
autonomous maritime transport in the shipping industry is also seen as a possibility to meet the
future’s sustainability challenges, safety challenges, competitiveness1. The next generation of the
modular communication and control technologies will include the control functions both on and
off the board. Such technologies will also include capability of operating ships remotely through
the fully or semi autonomously control system. This description implies that the autonomous
ships will be controlled remotely through the remote-control mechanism with a shore based
human operator. Furthermore, the automated ships will have the decision support systems and it
will undertake the operational decisions independently without the need of a human operator.
However, there are certain issues that need to be addressed before the autonomous ships
becomes acceptable universally as a viable, secure, safe means of transport, and fully functional2.
This study will focus on the three main challenges faced by the shipping towards the
implementation of the autonomous ships.
Challenges in the implementation of autonomous ships
Response to the emergencies- The primary question is that, removing the human error
away from the vessel is really a better solution? Some of the technical systems like the
positioning systems and the electrical chart systems are very common these days. The risk of
1 Wróbel, Krzysztof, et al. "Towards the development of a risk model for unmanned vessels design and
operations." TransNav: International Journal on Marine Navigation and Safety of Sea Transportation 10 (2016).
2 Patterson, Mark CL, Anthony Mulligan, and Fernando Boiteux. "Safety and security applications for micro-
unmanned surface vessels." Oceans-San Diego, 2013. IEEE, 2013.

2AUTONOMOUS SHIPPING OPERATION
failure in these systems is common even in the autonomous or unmanned vessels due to the fact
that such system will also exist in the unmanned vessels. In future technical risks will arise from
the technology even if communication systems, human sense is taken away from the autonomous
vessels. In the manned vessels instances occur where the data wiring might break down,
communication module computers, camera, sensors might stop working. Even in such situations,
the humans present in the vessel try to repair the broken instruments to revive its functioning.
However, the same cannot be true for the unmanned or autonomous vessels. Thus, an emergency
situation might arise from the cyber security, sensor systems, heavy weather implication,
technical operation principles, unmanned maintenance, shore control center, unmanned ship.
Potential hazards are identified when operating the unmanned bulk carriers3. The consequences
and the expected frequencies of the hazards are related to the risk calculated. While hazards are a
function of consequences and frequency of the incident. With respect to the responses to the
emergency situation in autonomous vessels, a number of situations have been identified. For
example, in the article 98 (1) of UNCLOS assistance during the emergency situations is an
obligation and the area where it has occurred. Considering the risk, such assistances will be
required by the passengers and the crew and even the distress call by a ship needs to be
considered. The Article especially delegates the burden and the authority to a master, and it has
been framed keeping in mind of a manned ship and not a crewless ship. However, if it assumed
that the master is onshore then new issues will arise. The emergency procedures taken will take
time to respond during an emergency situation4.
3 Wróbel, Krzysztof, Jakub Montewka, and Pentti Kujala. "Towards the assessment of potential impact of unmanned
vessels on maritime transportation safety." Reliability Engineering & System Safety 165 (2017): 155-169.
4 Porathe, Thomas. "Remote Monitoring and Control of Unmanned Vessels–The MUNIN Shore Control
Centre." Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Computer Applications and Information Technology
in the Maritime Industries (COMPIT ‘14). 2014.