Page 31: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2019)

AUTONOMOUS SHIPPING • THOUGHT LEADERSHIP “In our look back at major transitions that are based on products that give signi? cant returns on capital, it will take approximately 20 years for the ‘future ship’ to be adopted by 70% of the industry. As example, read- ers should consider the time it took the unmanned en- gine room to be adopted by a majority of the industry.”

Michael G. Johnson,

Founder and CEO, Sea Machines “Progressive operators that are using their vessels in controlled or semi-controlled domain,” said

Sea Machines founder and CEO

Michael G. Johnson. “Many of these are performing task-driven operations in situations where technology can perform better than a human in direct control.” will develop most quickly is in instanc- es where there are ships with smaller crews onboard, where ‘autonomous’ systems are being utilized to increase safety and ef? ciency. Those ships will

Image: Sea Machines have the same technology as autono- mous ships, but there will be humans onboard … it is a complimentary sys- tem to the captain and crew. This will move the fastest because there are not regulatory obstacles.”

Driving autonomy in all transport

The Since1939LEADER modes is the speed of technology evo- lution, a speed which is driving product

Sliding Watertight Doors and Custom Closures and system obsolescence to a record pace. “We would develop products that used to have an expected lifetime of maybe 15 years,” said Paulsen or

Kongsberg, “but today we are looking at the time frame for new product to last maybe four or ? ve years, and then it is being replaced by a new technol- ogy.”

Johnson of Sea Machines agrees. “OEMs that supply the industry are starting to announce the end of major analog and mechanical product lines that have served them for decades and ™

E + E = A W TNGINEERING XPERIENCE INNING RADITION the new technologies are being heavily marketed by leading legacy and young companies. In our look back at major transitions that are based on products

Walz & Krenzer, Inc.

that give signi? cant returns on capital, 91 Willenbrock Rd., Unit B4, Oxford, CT 06478 • www.wkdoors.com it will take approximately 20 years for

Tel: 203-267-5712 • Fax: 203-267-5716 • E-mail: [email protected] the “future ship” to be adopted by 70% www.marinelink.com 31

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