Page 46: of Marine News Magazine (June 2017)

45 47

AUTONOMUS WORKBOATS

Autonomous Workboats: the Future is Now

Sea Machines is bringing autonomous self-driving systems to the world of workboats.

By Joseph Keefe t an impressive virtual reality demonstration seen sensors and instrumentation. But when it comes to com- late last year and then again at a frigid, late win- mand and control systems, data communication, collec- ter visit to the Boston, Massachusetts waterfront, tion and interpretation – advances in these areas will push

A the future of workboat technology became all too evident forward a new era of marine and maritime operations.” for this writer. The late George Allen, former head coach That’s already begun. of the Washington Redskins football team perhaps said it best when he coined the phrase, “The future is now.” If Underway so, then Michael Johnson, the founder of Sea Machines Sea Machines Robotics (Boston) is a new technology

Robotics has brought that reality to the marine industry. company focused on bringing autonomous self-driving sys-

The technology company targets the emerging market of tems to the marine industries. Incorporated only in Janu- autonomous marine vessels. That’s not some sort of futur- ary of 2017, the operation was previously part of a Texas istic vision; those capabilities are here, now. LLC. Currently with 10 employees, Johnson says that they

Johnson says that his goal is to bring “advanced technol- will increase to 12 plus two university interns, by summer. ogy to his space.” He doesn’t say that arrogantly or without Led by an impressive group of marine professionals – some a nod to what has come before. Instead, he explains, “Don’t known for their roles in projects such as the salvage of the get me wrong: there are all types of great technology in cruise ship Costa Concordia – the company has completed our space that is progressively advancing, from structural one year of on-water testing in Boston Harbor and this sum- advances, to the latest electro-mechanical equipment, and mer is conducting collaborative multi-vessel trials with com-

Credit: Sea Machines

June 2017 46 MN