Captains are no longer needed: unmanned vehicles have already appeared at sea

Cars and trams that move without the direct involvement of the driver no longer surprise anyone, since the popularity of various types of unmanned vehicles is increasing every year. But the Norwegians decided that they should not stop only on the development of land, and this year they will launch a new type of sea transport, which will be able to work automatically, without the participation of the captain and team members.

A cargo ship called Yara Birkeland will transport sea fertilizers from the port of Porsgrunn to the port of Larvik. The route will run in the waters of the Skagerrak Strait, connecting the Baltic and North Seas, directly off the coast of Norway.

Of course, the new vessel will carry out its first voyages not automatically, but under the supervision of the captain and crew. Well, after the end of the test period, a container ship equipped with cameras, sensors and all the necessary navigation devices will be able to sail independently. The vessel will be able to follow the given route and, if necessary, avoid collisions with oncoming vessels, and the control point will be located on the shore.

The cost of an unmanned ship is $ 25 million, which is about three times higher than that of traditional cargo ships of this class. But the owners of the new mode of transport expect to significantly save on fuel costs, as well as on the salaries of crew members, which will make it possible to recoup an expensive vessel.

It is worth noting that in other countries, active experiments are conducted with unmanned sea transport, remotely controlled. A number of companies have already prepared test versions of such vessels and tested them in real marine conditions. Further development of this sphere is hampered by the lack of a regulatory framework governing the operation of such maritime transport. But as soon as the maritime law resolves all current issues, we can expect the emergence of new vessels operating autonomously.