Unmanned Systems Technology 009 | Ocean Aero Submaran S10 | Simulation and testing | Farnborough report | 3W-110xi b2 TS HFE FI | USVs | Data storage | Eurosatory/UGS 2016 report

60 F or maritime autonomous systems, it’s all about the payload. The latest international maritime regulations for preventing collisions at sea (ColRegs), agreed in 2015, require crew to be on board or close to a vessel, limiting the opportunities for the autonomous operation of large craft to line-of-sight and remote control. So while the regulations are being adapted for 2020 to include truly autonomous vessels, the current focus for the industry is on having as much flexibility as possible in the type of payload a craft can carry. That has not stopped development of unmanned surface vehicles in the military sector of course. For example, the Common USV (CUSV) platform developed by Textron Systems has been adopted for the US Navy’s Unmanned Influence Sweep System (UISS) programme of minesweeping, operating from larger vessels. It is also seeing adoption in commercial sectors, with flexible payloads for investigating the ocean floor and coastlines. “We took our unmanned aircraft, and command and control experience, and applied that to a new domain, migrating from the air to the surface,” says Wayne Prender, vice-president, control and surface systems, at Textron Systems. “We developed three generations of boats, and what we are developing now for the US Navy is the fourth-generation CUSV.” The regulatory environment has not stopped innovation in some commercial USVs either. Equipment makers are producing autonomous buoys that can stay on station without having to be tethered, and large barges are being towed out to see to act as the landing platform for reusable rockets, operating autonomously to coordinate with the (often dangerous) landing. In a wider maritime context, there is a growing trend for adding autonomous control systems to existing vessels, as the processing power of the systems enables them to handle the sensors and control loop software in what are relatively slow-moving craft. While this works for navigation and collision What is steering developments in unmanned surface vehicle technology? Nick Flaherty reports Maritime August/September 2016 | Unmanned Systems Technology