Page 34: of Marine News Magazine (April 2020)

33 35

AUTONOMOUS WORKBOATS (POSH), ABS, MPA and TCOMS, will convert an existing

In March, Abu Dhabi Ports announced it manned tugboat into a smart autonomous vessel equipped signed a Memorandum of Understanding with with ST Engineering’s NERVA Ship Management System and Sensemaking System, which provides real time, central- naval architect Robert Allan Ltd. to develop fully ized control and monitoring of shipboard systems, as well as unmanned autonomous commercial marine tugs. condition-based maintenance.

The research and development project aims to

Partners in each of the Singapore projects, like Sea Ma- deliver remotely-controlled vessels that will be chines, stress the technology is not intended to remove crew, fully unmanned and be able to operate within a but to assist them. In the case of a harbor tug, for example, wide spectrum of autonomy under Abu Dhabi working vessels must sometimes make long transits to reach

Ports’ maritime service arm, SAFEEN. According their destination. If a tug can perform this task autonomously, to Abu Dhabi Ports, one of the main draws of the the crew on board would be able to rest before performing the hard work of pushing or towing other vessels.

technology includes the capability to shift humans from on board to shore, allowing tugs to operate in

REGULATORY CATCH-UP far more adverse weather conditions. Autonomous

While the technology is being proven, efforts to ?rm up vessels would also help to increase ef?ciency and insurance, legal and regulatory requirements are still catch- enhance operational safety, it said.

!"# $ % &

Credit: Sea Machines

April 2020 34 MN