Currently, an industrial revolution is unfolding under the seas. Rapid progress in the development of autonomous systems, robotics, maritime surveillance, satellite systems, AI, and data science are opening up whole new sectors of ocean use and research.
Autonomous Marine Systems, A Driver of Growth in the Blue Economy
1. Autonomous Marine Systems
A Driver for Sustainable Growth
in the Blue Economy
Gregory S. Yovanof, PhD
Managing Director, STRATEGIS – Maritime Center of Excellence 19-Nov-19
2. Agenda
• Ocean – The Opportunity
– Ocean: A global shared asset
• Ocean – The Challenge
– Ocean: An unchartered territory
• Autonomous Marine Systems & Vessels
– Ocean Survey & Monitoring, Exploration, Exploitation
– Shipping & Maritime Transportation
• Conclusion
3
4. OCEAN FACTS
6
• The ocean covers 71% of the Earth’s surface &
contains 97% of the planet’s water
– 95% of the underwater world remains unexplored &
91% of ocean species have yet to be classified
• The ocean and lakes play an integral role in many
of the Earth’s systems including climate & weather
– The ocean supports the life of nearly 50% of all species
on Earth, produces oxygen, supports nutrient recycling
and provides food and medicine resources
5. 7https://www.factslides.com/s-Ocean http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2018/06/07/5-surprising-stats-show-why-high-seas-need-protection
The giant spiny lobster was discovered in
2005 in an area of high seas called Walters
Shoals, off the southern tip of Madagascar.
2 million: The number of unidentified
species estimated to live in the ocean
High Seas make-up 2/3 of the world’s
ocean & 95 percent of living space
The light blue waters in this map represent all of the
high seas. This vast ocean area performs many
functions that, together, are vital to most life on Earth.
Without the high seas, international
trade and commerce would be
nearly impossible.
90 percent of world trade
crosses our ocean
Ocean
High Seas
Facts
The high seas are critical to all life on
Earth, in part by playing an important role
in the processing of carbon dioxide.
Every second breath is ocean
The ocean produces 50% of the
world’s oxygen & it stores 50 times
more CO2 than our atmosphere
6. The OCEAN Economy in 2030
(OECD, 2016)
OECD’s flagship report on “The Ocean
Economy in 2030” explores
• the growth prospects for the ocean
economy to 2030 & beyond
• its capacity for future employment
creation and innovation
• its role in addressing global challenges
such as energy security, environment,
climate change & food security
9
7. Blue Economy
WHAT IS THE BLUE ECONOMY?
• All economic activities related
to oceans, seas & coasts
– Blue economy covers
a wide range of
interlinked
established &
emerging sectors
10
https://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/sites/maritimeaffairs/files/2018-annual-
economic-report-on-blue-economy_en.pdf
8. How Big is the Ocean Economy?
12
Annual “Gross Marine Product”
(GMP) is evaluated at least
US$2.5 trillion*
Direct employment 35 million, 90% of
the people who derive livelihoods from
fishing live in developing countries
Major source of protein for
1 billion people
Source: World bank, Global Partnership on Ocean and *Reviving The Ocean Economy, Case for Action, WWF 2015
Global Asset Value of Ocean
estimated at USD 24 trillion*
11. The Challenger Deep &
the Mariana Trench
• The Mariana Trench or
Marianas Trench, located in the
Western Pacific Ocean
approximately 200 kilometres
(124 mi) east of the Mariana
Islands, is the deepest point in
the world's oceans
– The maximum-known depth is
10,994 metres (36,070 ft)
(± 40 metres [130 ft]) at the
southern end of a small slot-shaped
valley in its floor known as
the Challenger Deep
20https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariana_Trench
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r17kLJxJcwM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIZBLzsEpHo
Water pressure at Challenger
Deep is 8 tons per square inch!
12. Bathyscaphe Trieste @ the Challenger
Deep - Mariana Trench [Jan 23, 1960]
• Trieste is a Swiss-designed,
Italian-built deep-diving research
bathyscaphe, which with its crew
of two reached a record maximum
depth of about 10,911 metres
(35,797 ft), in the deepest known
part of the Earth's oceans, the
Challenger Deep, in the Mariana
Trench near Guam in the Pacific.
– On 23 January 1960, Jacques
Piccard (son of the boat's designer
Auguste Piccard) and US Navy
Lieutenant Don Walsh achieved the
goal of Project Nekton.
• Trieste shortly after
her purchase by the
US Navy in 1958
22
Don Walsh &
Jacques Piccard
aboard Trieste
To withstand the enormous
pressure of 1.25 metric
tons per cm² (110 MPa) at
the bottom of Challenger
Deep, the sphere's walls
were 12.7 cm (5.0 in) thick.
13. Have Humans Been To the Ocean's
Deepest Point?
• On March 25, 2012, filmmaker
(and National Geographic
Explorer) James Cameron
became the first person to
make a solo voyage to the
deepest point on Earth
– His 24-foot tall submersible, the
Deepsea Challenger, reached
35,756 feet (10,898 meters)
after an approximately
2.5-hour descent
24
https://www.thoughtco.com/deepest-part-of-the-ocean-2291756
A curious mind!
14. Titanic expedition – Cyclops2
(Summer 2018)
• OceanGate Inc., a provider of manned
submersible services and SubC Imaging,
a global leader in intelligent underwater imaging
equipment, have formed a strategic alliance to
capture the first 4K images of the RMS Titanic
shipwreck & debris field
– SubC Imaging cameras and lights will be installed on
OceanGate's Cyclops2, the first manned submersible to survey
the Titanic since 2005
– The 4K images and videos will be used in tandem with laser &
sonar scans to create a virtual 3D model of the wreck
– The six-week Titanic Survey Expedition will depart from St.
John’s, Newfoundland in June 2018 with scientists, content
experts, and mission specialists joining the crew in a series of
week-long missions
26https://www.maritime-executive.com/corporate/oceangate-and-subc-imaging-to-capture-
first-ever-4k-images-of-the-titanic-shipwreck#gs.Fg1aPYw
16. United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for
Sustainable Development (2021-2030)
• The marine realm is the largest component
of the Earth’s system that stabilizes climate
and supports life on Earth and human well-
being.
– However, the First World Ocean Assessment
released in 2016 found that much of the
ocean is now seriously degraded, with
changes and losses in the structure, function
and benefits from marine systems.
• The United Nations has proclaimed a
Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable
Development (2021-2030) to support
efforts to reverse the cycle of decline in
ocean health.
30https://en.unesco.org/ocean-decade
17. United Nations Decade of Ocean Science
for Sustainable Development (2021-2030)
31
https://en.unesco.org/ocean-decade
18. The Challenges Our Ocean Faces
Our oceans are
currently facing
three major
challenges
• climate change,
• Overfishing,
• and, pollution.
33
19. Facts About Ocean Pollution
• The ocean is one of the most
expansive and diverse places on earth.
– It’s one of our most valuable natural
resources and it’s where 230,000
marine species call home.
• Unfortunately, despite its powerful
expanses, the sea is not invincible –
it’s being threatened by pollution from
people on land, as well as by natural
causes.
– As a result, marine life is dwindling at
an alarming rate and many fish
populations are being driven to the
brink of extinction.
The North Pacific Gyre
• There’s an island of marine litter
in the Pacific Ocean called the
North Pacific Gyre, or the Great
Pacific Garbage Patch
– it’s the largest oceanic rubbish site in
the entire world.
– To put that into perspective, it is
twice the size of Texas.
34
https://www.bluereefaquarium.co.uk/tynemouth/blog/events/10-devastating-facts-about-ocean-pollution/
20. The 5 Gyres & Ocean Garbage Patches
• Gyres are large systems of
circulating ocean currents
caused by the Coriolis effect.
• Pacific Garbage Patch
35
Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch:
7 million tons of weight; Up to 9 feet deep
Twice the size of Texas
21. Garbage Patches
Our planet has five major ocean
gyres:
• Indian Ocean Gyre which contains
the Indian Ocean Garbage Patch
• North Atlantic Gyre, which
contains the North Atlantic
Garbage Patch, equal to the
North Pacific Garbage Patch
• North Pacific Gyre
• South Atlantic Gyre
• South Pacific Gyre
Facts about the Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch;
• 7 million tons of weight
• Twice the size of Texas
• Up to 9 feet deep
• In the Great Pacific Ocean Gyre there is 6 times more
plastic than plankton, which the main food for many ocean
animals
• By estimation 80% of the plastic originates from land;
floating in rivers to the ocean or blew by the wind into the
ocean
• The remaining 20% of the plastic originates from oil
platforms and ships
• According scientist it is the largest plastic dump on earth;
so plastic patches are larger than waste dumps on land
36
http://garbagepatch.net/greatpacificoceangarbagepatchfacts/
22. Ocean Clean-up Project
• Our oceans are currently
facing three major challenges:
climate change, overfishing
and pollution.
• Plastic pollution in particular
is increasing and has received
international attention from
governments, media and large
sections of the public
– In order to mitigate this
problem, technology might give
the solution
• Can The Ocean Cleanup
Project Rid the Worlds Oceans
of Plastic?
37
https://safety4sea.com/using-technology-to-reduce-plastics-in-the-oceans/
• When Boyan Slat was
19, he came up with an
idea, worth millions of
dollars, to create an
Ocean Cleanup Array.
• This Ocean Cleanup
Array is capable of
removing 7,250,000
tons of plastic waste
from the oceans and in
next five years.
23. The ocean is big
• Cleaning up the Great Pacific
Garbage Patch using conventional
methods - vessels and nets - would
take thousands of years & tens of
billions of dollars to complete
– The passive OCEANCLEANUP systems
are estimated to remove half the
Great Pacific Garbage patch in just
five years, and at a fraction of the
cost
– The first Ocean Cleanup has been
deployed with the support of Maersk
[Sep. 7, 2018]
– https://www.theoceancleanup.com/technology/ 38
24. Maersk Signs on to Help Clean up Ocean
Plastic [Aug. 16, 2018]
• Offshore services provider Maersk
Supply Service has signed onto a
project that aims to collect tons of
plastic waste littering the world's
oceans.
– In the coming months, the Denmark
based firm will provide marine support
to the Dutch nonprofit The Ocean
Cleanup, which will install its first
cleanup system in the North Pacific as
part of the planet’s first large-scale
initiative for collection of floating
ocean-plastic debris
39
25. The Ocean Cleanup – System 001
Launch Trajectory (Sep. 7, 2018)
• On September 8, 2018,
The Ocean Cleanup
Foundation launched the
world’s first ocean cleanup
system from its assembly
yard in Alameda, through
the San Francisco Bay,
toward the infamous Great
Pacific Garbage Patch.
40
27. ROV & AUV
• ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle)
The Swiss Army Knife of Underwater Robots
– An ROV is an unoccupied vehicle connected to a ship
by a group of cables, which allows a human to
command it from above the surface
– ROVs usually perform the work of human divers in
cases where diver safety is called into question, such
as working in deep water
• AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle)
The Smart Car for the Ocean
– AUVs are autonomous underwater vehicles that can
act on their own
– Ideal for longer scientific surveys and missions where
constant human supervision is not needed, AUVs can be
preprogrammed with an assignment and location
43
https://www.rjeint.com/whats-difference-rov-auv/ By RJE International July 19, 2017
The Mohawk ROV in Flower Garden Banks
National Marine Sanctuary. Photo provided
by NOAA.
At 598 meters (1,962 ft)
below the Gulf of Mexico
off the coast of Louisiana,
ROV Hercules encountered
a magnificent sperm whale
in deep water Video by
Nautilus Live
An AUV being
lowered into the
water Credits: Mierlo
/ wikipedia.org
28. SCUBA droids
• SCUBA divers working at extreme
depths often have less than 15
minutes to complete complicated
tasks, and they submit their bodies
to 10 times normal pressure
– To overcome these challenges, a
Stanford robotics team designed
Ocean One a humanoid underwater
robot dexterous enough to handle
archaeological artifacts that employs
force sensors to replicate a sense of
touch for its pilot • Image: Osada/Seguin/DRASSM
44https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/09/12-cutting-edge-technologies-that-could-save-our-oceans/
29. Underwater augmented reality glasses
• US navy engineers have designed
augmented vision displays for their
divers – a kind of waterproof,
supercharged version of Google Glass
– This new tech allows commercial
divers and search and rescue teams to
complete complex tasks with visibility
near zero, and integrates data feeds
from sonar sensors & intel from surface
support teams
• Image: US Navy Photo by Richard
Manley
45
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/09/12-cutting-edge-technologies-that-could-save-our-oceans/
30. Biomimetic robots
• The field of ocean robotics has begun
borrowing blue prints from the world’s best
engineering firm: Mother Nature
– Robo-tuna cruise the ocean on surveillance
missions;
– Sea snake-inspired marine robots inspect pipes
on offshore oil rigs;
– 1,400 pound robotic crabs collect new data on
the seafloor; and
– Robo-jellyfish are under development to carry
out environmental monitoring
• That ocean species are models for ocean problem-
solving is no surprise given that these animals are
the result of millions of years of trial and error.
Image: Boston Engineering
• The U.S. Department of Homeland
Security’s (DHS) Science and
Technology Directorate (S&T) is
funding the development of an
autonomous underwater vehicle
(AUV) modeled on the tuna, called
the BIOSwimmer.
– BIOSwimmer is designed for high
maneuverability in harsh environments
– [Sep. 25, 2012] Kurzweil AI Net
46
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/09/12-cutting-edge-technologies-that-could-save-our-oceans/
Crabster CR200
31. Robo-Tuna: UUV’s in US Surveillance
• The US Navy is testing a stealthy,
4 foot-long fish-shaped autonomous
underwater vehicle designed to blend in
with undersea life and perform combat
sensor functions. [July 5, 2014]
– “It mimics a fish. It looks like a fish. We call
it robo-tuna, affectionately, but it is a UUV
(unmanned undersea vehicle). It does not
have a propeller or a jet. It actually swims
by flipping its tail around,”
• said Capt. Jim Loper, concepts and innovation
department head, Navy Warfare Development
Command, Norfolk.
• The robot-fish is highly
maneuverable and can
accelerate quickly, reaching
speeds up to 40 knots
47
http://oceansadvance.net/ot-news/something-fishy-about-the-future-of-us-navy-uuv-surveillance/
http://www.techietonics.com/robo-tonics/biomimicry-robotic-spy-fish-will-do-the-reconnaissance-isr-missions.html
32. Octopus-Inspired Robots
• Octopus-Inspired
Robots Can Grasp,
Crawl, and Swim
– Soft electronics and
smart control
mechanisms help these
robots get a better
grip on a complex
world
• IEEE Spectrum, April 5, 2016. Video
https://spectrum.ieee.org/video/robotics/robotics-
hardware/octopusinspired-robots-can-grasp-crawl-and-swim
48
34. Global Ocean Observing Systems
(GOOS)
51
https://twitter.com/OceanObs19/st
atus/1024334379882110976
https://gcos.wmo.int
Observing our ocean helps us
predict extreme weather,
manage fisheries & protect
marine assets such as coral
reefs
35. Ocean Science & ROVs
• ROVs are used extensively by
the scientific community to
study the ocean.
– A number of deep sea animals
and plants have been discovered
or studied in their natural
environment through the use of
ROVs
– examples include
the jellyfish Stellamedusa
ventana & the eel like halosaurs
• Stellamedusa ventana first
described in 2004, has so far
been observed only at
mesopelagic depths, i.e.
between 150 and 550 meters.
– At these depths, sunlight does
not penetrate, but there is
still a reasonable amount of
oxygen.
• Halosaurs are eel-
shaped fishes found only at
great ocean depths
– The largest species, the 90-cm
(3-ft) long abyssal
halosaur (Halosauropsis
macrochir) is also one of the
most deep-living fish,
recorded at depths of 3,300 m
(11,000 ft). 53
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remotely_operated_underwater_vehicle
36. Under-Ice Exploration
• The Robotic Networks for
Under-Ice Exploration comprise
of self-driving Seagliders and
floats that track conditions
below an Antarctic ice shelf.
– Inside these caves, warmer
saltwater flows in on the bottom,
carrying heat that may eat away at
the ice, and fresher glacial
meltwater flows out above.
– University of Washington
56https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2017/12/21/robots-dive-below-antarctica-ice-sheet-to-collect-climate-change-data
37. The Challenge:
Earth – An Unknown Planet
Earth’s Ocean is
Vastly Unexplored
• 71% of our planet
is covered by
ocean, and only
about 15% of the
features under the
deep sea have been
accurately mapped
• In June 2017, Japan’s Nippon Foundation & the
General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans
(GEBCO) announced a joint project to map the
deep sea, with the goal to have
– 100 percent of the ocean floor mapped by
2030
• Shell is holding the Ocean Discovery XPRIZE,
a $7 million competition that challenges
participants to:
– Create a bathymetric map of a 4km-deep, 500-sq-km
zone of ocean floor within 24 hours using an
automated solution with only shore based control
– 5m horizontal & 0.5m depth accuracy required
63Claudia Geib, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Dec 30, 2017 https://futurism.com/schools-robots-mapping-unknown-deep-sea/
38. The Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE
Getting to the Bottom of Our Ocean (2016)
• In 2016, the XPRIZE organization
launched the Shell Ocean Discovery
XPRIZE competition, with the goal
to encourage innovation in
automated ocean exploration &
bathymetric mapping
– The world does not have a map of its own
oceans
– With current ship-based technology the cost
and time to produce a detailed map of the
sea floor would take decades and cost
billions
– An automated robotic solution can break-
down these barriers and unlock the
mysteries of the deep oceans
The targets for the 1rst round of the
Shell Ocean Discovery competition:
• create a bathymetric map of a 500
km2 target area up to 2000m deep
– the map must have 5m horizontal
accuracy and 0.5m depth accuracy
• find and image a target object at the
2000 m depth
• complete above tasks within 16 hours
using an automated solution with only
shore based control
64http://oceandiscovery.xprize.org/
39. Ocean mappers line up for Shell
Ocean Discovery XPRIZE final [March, 2018]
• The nine Shell Ocean
Discovery XPRIZE finalists
– ARGGONAUTS (Karlsruhe, Germany)
– Blue Devil Ocean Engineering
(Duke University, US)
– CFIS (Arnex-sur-Nyon, Switzerland)
– GEBCO-NF Alumni (International)
– KUROSHIO (Yokosuka, Japan)
– PISCES (Portugal)
– Team Tao (Newcastle, UK)
– Texas A&M Ocean Engineering
(College Station, US)
– Virginia DEEP-X (Virginia, US)
65
Jonathan Amos, BBC Science, March 7, 2018 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43317417
The Int’l Gebco-NF Alumni
team uses a UK-built USV to
deploy an underwater robot
Japan's Kuroshio team brings
together technologies from
universities, institutes & companiesTeam Tao will use a swarm of
robots to map the sea floor
41. 69
Sustainable
exploitation of
Ocean & Marine
Resources
A clear view of marine
resources & environments
is needed if we’re to derive
sustainable growth from
the seas
42. MIT's tiny rubber robo-fish is here to
help save the world's coral reefs
• [July 2018] During tests in
Fiji's coral reefs the man-
made fish swam an average
of 296.8m in a straight line
on each dive and didn't scare
away other animals around it
– Overall, six tests of the robot
were completed in the
Somosomo Strait in Taveuni &
the diver could be around 10
metres away from where it
was swimming
71
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/robot-fish-mit-sofi-swim-coral
"The fish did not
appear to change their
swimming trajectory as
SoFi approached
them, suggesting that
SoFi has the potential
to integrate into the
natural underwater
environment."
43. RangerBot – The Robo Reef Protector
• In a 2015 report, the World Wide Fund
for Nature noted that, in the previous
three decades, the Great Barrier Reef
had lost half its coral cover
– And, 40 percent of that loss was due to
the crown of thorns starfish - COTS
• RangerBot is the world's first
underwater robotic system designed
specifically for coral reef
environments, using only robot-vision
for real-time navigation, obstacle
avoidance and complex science
missions [Aug, 2018]
• When it identifies its quarry, the robot
deploys an arm, which injects the starfish
with bile salts. This triggers necrosis or
apoptosis (so not, you know, pleasant),
killing the starfish within 48 hours, with
100 percent mortality rate - without
harming anything else in the surrounding
waters.
• In addition to its ability to enter spaces
that may be dangerous for human divers,
the RangerBot can stay in the water for
up to eight hours on a single charge,
Dunbabin said - nearly three times as long
as a human - and operate during all times
of the day, and in all conditions.
72
A crown-of-thorns starfish
(COTS)
RangerBot the Robo Reef
Protector
https://youtu.be/7zjKTvj0lB4
https://www.sciencealert.com/rangerbot-great-barrier-reef-
conservation-crown-of-thorns-starfish
RangerBot has
been co-developed
by the
Queensland Univ.
of Technology,
Google, & the
Great Barrier
Reef Foundation
44. Deep Sea Sponges
• SponGES
– is a research and innovation project
funded under the H2020 Blue Growth BG1
call with the goal to develop an
integrated ecosystem-based approach to
preserve and sustainably use deep-sea
sponge ecosystems of the North Atlantic
• Why Deep-sea Sponges?
– Known to exist for over 600 million years,
sponges are the oldest living animal
group on our planet
– With about 8500 species described, and
more than 25000 estimated to exist, they
present a remarkable diversity in the
world’s oceans 74
http://www.deepseasponges.org/
http://www.deepseasponges.org/
45. Deep Sea Corals
• Marine Applied Research and
Exploration (MARE) and
Marine Conservation Institute
(MCI) have joined forces
together to find and protect
sensitive deep-sea corals
– Together, MARE & MCI are raising funds
to support their 2018 mission off the
coast of Southern California.
76
www.maregroup.org
47. Engineering for the Digital Ocean
81https://magazines.marinelink.com/nwm/MarineTechnology/201803/#page/54
48. Engineering for the Digital Ocean
http://digitalmagazines.marinelink.com/nwm/MarineTechnology/201803/content/pages/page57.jpg 82
49. ROVs in Oil & Gas
83
https://www.oceaneering.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Nexxus-AJA_7532-FIXED-sm-2.jpg
https://www.subseauk.com/documents/presentations/justin%20branner%20-%20oceaneering%202016.pdf
https://www.offshore-mag.com/articles/print/volume-76/issue-10/subsea/rigless-stimulation-saves-gom-operator-15-million.html
• OCEANEERING - Subsea
Well Intervention
– With the advances in subsea
tools and equipment, more
subsea well intervention
operations are being performed
by remotely operated vehicles
(ROVs)
• Knut Eriksen, SVP, Subsea
Products, Oceaneering, OTC 2012,
Houston, Apr. 30, 2012
50. Deep Sea Mining
Why are people eager to tap
into the mineral-rich ocean
floor?
• Growing human populations
exhaust land resources
• Rising economies
• Dwindling land deposits
– The PEW Charitable Trusts
Media, June 2018
87
http://www.pewtrusts.org/-/media/assets/2018/07/deep-seabed-mining-basics_18-06-v3.pdf
Deep sea mining Bill
receives UK government
support
By Edd Gent
E&T, Published Friday,
September 6, 2013
polymetallic nodule
53. Global Marine Trends
• “Shipping – probably the most
important business on the
planet”
– “Without ships there is no
world trade and even the
most pessimistic global
economic health scenario…
sees a big future for
shipping”
• Nick Brown, Lloyd’s Register’s
Marine Communications
Manager
101“Global Marine Trends 2030,” Lloyd’s Register, QinetQ, Strathclyde Univ., 2013
More than 90 per cent of
global trade is carried by sea
54. IMO Mandate – Sustainable Development
• Rio+20,The UN
Conference on
Sustainable
Development
(Rio de Janeiro, 2012)
– The Future We Want
IMO’s Contribution to
Beyond RIO+20
“Safe, Secure & Efficient
Shipping on Clean Oceans”
103www.imo.org
55. The 4th Shipping Revolution is ON
104http://www.autonomous-ship.org/events/171106-trd/trd-sintef.pdf
56. Autonomous, Unmanned Ship of the
Future
• In an age of aerial drones and driver-less cars,
Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc is designing
unmanned cargo ships (Bloomberg, Feb. 25, 2014)
– Drone ships would be safer, cheaper and less polluting for
the $375 billion shipping industry that carries 90 percent
of world trade, Rolls-Royce says
105
VIDEO [27 June 2016] https://www.rt.com/viral/348619-rolls-royce-remote-ships/
57. Autonomous Shipping is the Future
• “Autonomous shipping is the future
of the maritime industry” said
Mikael Makinen, President of Rolls-
Royce’s marine division, in a
white paper published by the company
[June 21, 2016]
– “As disruptive as the smartphone, the
smart ship will revolutionize the
landscape of ship design and
operations”
106
https://www.rolls-royce.com/~/media/Files/R/Rolls-Royce/documents/customers/marine/ship-intel/aawa-whitepaper-210616.pdf
60. Shore Control Centre (SCC)
110
VIDEO [27 June 2016] https://www.rt.com/viral/348619-rolls-royce-remote-ships/
<< Rolls-Royce Unified Bridge >>
Shore Control Centre (SCC)
Intelligent Asset Management (IAM)
62. Autonomous, Unmanned Ship
of the Future – MUNIN
• EU-funded project MUNIN
– Maritime Unmanned Navigation
through Intelligence in Networks
– Concept study of a fully unmanned
handymax dry bulk carrier on
intercontinental voyage
– The MUNIN project relies on an
advanced sensor system that
gathers information from onboard,
ashore and offshore to enable
vessels to act autonomously
114
http://www.unmanned-ship.org/munin/
MUNIN – FP7 GA-No 314286
Sep 1, 2012 – Aug 31, 2015
Budget: 3.8 million EUR
63. MUNIN – The Autonomous Ship
• MUNIN would normally rely on automatic
and fully deterministic control functions to
run the ship
– However, various sensor systems will be needed to
detect problematic situations such as unexpected
objects in the sea, dangerous weather conditions or
danger of collision
• If an unexpected situation occurs, an
autonomous control module will be invoked
trying to remedy the situation within its
given constraints
• If the system cannot achieve this, it will
request support from a remote operator or
start a fail-to-safe procedure if the operator
is not available
116
Autonomous
Execution
Autonomous
Control
Remote
Control
http://www.unmanned-
ship.org/munin/about/the-autonomus-ship/
65. Image Processing for Remote &
Autonomous Ship
133Rolls-Royce, “Remote & Autonomous Ships: The next Steps”, White Paper [June 21, 2016]
Image segmentation for reducing data rates.
66. AAWA Roadmap to Autonomous Shipping
136
We’re HERE
(10/2018)
68. ReVolt – Short Sea Shipping by DNV
• ReVolt is DNV GL’s project developing
a battery powered unmanned vessel
for short-sea shipping
– The vessel is a 60-meter container
feeder with capacity of 100 TEU
and the vessel’s range would be
100 nautical miles, before the
battery needs to be charged
– Instead of using marine diesel fuel the vessel is
powered by a 3000-kWh battery, which reduces
operating costs by minimizing the number of high
maintenance parts onboard
150
• Adams 2014, ReVolt – next
generation short sea shipping
71. • The International Network
for Autonomous Ships (INAS)
– an informal group of national or
regional interest organizations
on the subject of unmanned,
autonomous or smart ships
– Agreed on at a meeting in Oslo
Oct. 30th 2017
– 22 members
• Hosted by SINTEF Ocean in
Trondheim, Norway on behalf
of Norwegian Forum for
Autonomous Ships (NFAS).
195
http://www.autonomous-ship.org/events/171106-trd/trd-sintef.pdf
72. Members of the INAS
MASRWG Maritime Autonomous Systems Regulatory Working Group
One Sea Innovation Ecosystem for autonomous ships in the Baltic
NFAS Norwegian Forum for Autonomous Ships
KAUS Korea Autonomous and Unmanned Ship Forum
SCAS Systems and Components for Autonomous Ships
Smart Ship Coalition of the Great Lakes region
196
73. ONESEA Autonomous Maritime
Ecosystem
• ONE SEA is a high-profile
ecosystem with a primary
aim to lead the way
towards an operating
autonomous maritime
ecosystem by 2025
– A DIMECC led Finnish
innovation ecosystem
– Founded in 2016
198https://www.oneseaecosystem.net/
74. Autonomous Vessel Initiatives in China
• In mid-2017, the country launched
the Unmanned Cargo Ship
Development Alliance
– chaired by HNA Technology Group Co,
Ltd., and including ABS, CCS, China
Ship Research & Development
Institute, Shanghai Marine Diesel
Engine Research Institute, Ltd,
Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group)
Co., Ltd, Marine Design Research
Institute of China (MARIC), Rolls-
Royce, and Wartsila.
• In December 2017, China also launched its
first smart ship designed by Shanghai
Merchant Ship Design and Research
Institute (SDARI) and built at Guangzhou
Wenchong Shipyard Co., Ltd (GWS), a
subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding
Corporation (CSSC)
– The vessel ‘Great Intelligence’, a 38,800 dwt
modified version of the Green Dolphin fuel-
efficient Bulk Carrier concept, is the pilot
smart ship project within China.
• In late 2017, the world's largest
automated terminal started operations in
Shanghai, under the fourth phase of the
Yangshan deep-water port.
199
75. Summary
• The Ocean is a global shared asset which is vastly unexplored
• Autonomous marine systems play a crucial role in the
sustainable growth of the Blue Economy
• Shipping is at a turning point & Shipping 4.0 is a game changer
in digitalization & autonomy
– Remote controlled & autonomous ships are technologically feasible
– Special types of short sea autonomous vessels are at the pilot stage
– Int’l cooperation is required to address legal, regulatory & business
issues
231
76. Thank You!
Gregory S. Yovanof
STRATEGIS - Maritime Center of Excellence
email: director@strategis-cluster.com cel: +30 6973 696 408
@StrategisClustr