While the deployment of autonomous ships may be lagging behind the roll-out of self-driving cars, across the logistics industry companies are already laying the foundations for the introduction of the first autonomous fleets.
Promising the possibility of crewless cargo transport, fuel-efficient movement and accident-free operations, autonomous technology holds great potential and in some respects is already proven. Yet there may be a significant time lag before the first autonomous car carriers arrive.
From a shipping line perspective, cost savings and safety improvements offer tempting incentives, but the ways in which autonomous systems will interact with human control and the risks they pose in the real world are issues that are far from resolved.
“In general, from a commercial perspective the main benefit is cost saving, with a reduction in operational costs directly linked to reducing operational costs, but the major challenges and risks at present are all around safety,” says Bjørn-Johan Vartdal, head of DNV GL Maritime Research.
”We might see regular short-sea shipments by fully autonomous vessel in as little as five years, but I think adoption of the…
