Unmanned Systems Technology 042 | Mayflower Autonomous Ship | Embedded Computing | ElevonX Sierra VTOL | UUVs insight | Flygas Engineering GAS418S | Ocean Business 2021 report | Electric motors | Priva Kompano

24 W hen it comes to studying the world’s oceans, long- endurance autonomy is everything. USVs offer the capability to run sensors for subsea mapping, testing water quality, and far more, over missions lasting potentially months. And compared with ships carrying personnel on board, they can do so with greatly reduced costs and risks to human life. ‘Autonomy’ constitutes more than just an autopilot, however, as the makers of the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) know very well. This 14.83 m-long, 6.22 m-wide uncrewed vessel (also known as the MAS400) features extensive and advanced power systems, sensors and shipbuilding knowhow, as well as comprehensive AI technologies to eliminate as many potential failure points as possible. Such is the reliability and size of the 5 t craft that scientific organisations around the world are now booking space on the vessel for their research instrumentation, exploiting up to 1000 kg of capacity for payload integration and extensive edge computing for real-time data processing. If moving at a low speed in good conditions for sunlight, the USV could operate indefinitely; otherwise, its estimated range is 5000 nautical miles. The project is the latest and biggest work by Brett Phaneuf, who has drawn on decades of experience and accumulating resources from across his various marine companies and collaborators. These include maritime research non-profit ProMare, defence UUV developer MSubs, software developer Marine AI, UUV and USV company Submergence Group, and most recently the world-renowned IT r&d multinational IBM. “In 2016, I was in a meeting with Plymouth City Council [in the UK] discussing how best to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s voyage in September 2020,” Phaneuf recalls. What began as a project to mark 400 years since the Pilgrim Fathers sailed to North America has evolved into this ocean research vessel. By Rory Jackson Pilgrim’s progress February/March 2022 | Unmanned Systems Technology