USE Network launch I UAV Works VALAQ l Cable harnesses l USVs insight l Xponential 2020 update l MARIN AUV l Suter Industries TOA 288 l Vitirover l AI systems l Vtrus ABI

46 T he autonomy of an unmanned system rests on more than just its autopilot. If it is to carry out a difficult mission in a challenging environment such as the marine realm it must withstand the effects of the local sea state and weather, it must be able to navigate precisely through waypoints, and it must carry enough sensors and have enough onboard intelligence to carry out its mission as well as a crewed vessel would. Transportation Autonomy advances remain essential, however, and in a considerable leap forward for self-driving ship technology, 2020 has seen the first use of fully automated dock-to-dock navigation and control of a ferry within normal commercial services. The ferry, the Basto Fosen VI , runs between the Norwegian towns of Morten and Hoss, and has integrated an ‘adaptive transit’ system developed by Kongsberg Maritime. The term is intended to denote that the ferry remains fully crewed, who can take control of it if necessary. “The idea was to use technology intended for USVs and adapt it to enable automated, intelligent operations – and improve the safety and efficiency of those operations – for otherwise ‘manned’ vessels,” Roger Trinterud, director of cruise, yacht and passenger systems at Kongsberg Maritime, explains. “The computer at the heart of the adaptive transit system performs better Rory Jackson highlights the progress some developers are making in providing state-of-the-art USVs to a range of sectors Ships’ companies June/July 2020 | Unmanned Systems Technology