Page 20: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (December 2020)

2020 Trends: Autonomy 2020 Trends

In the Pole Position

While work on maritime autonomy has proceeded at speed globally, a pair of U.S. companies – Metal Shark and Sea Machines – have jumped to the fore in delivering solutions that have evolved from the research & development department to work on the waterways.

By Greg Trauthwein

Photo: Metal Shark hen talk turns to “autono- erally agreed that short, local ‘point A to point B’ routes will my” in the maritime sector emerge more quickly; while true autonomy on large oceango- there are more questions ing international ships is a generation or more away. The path than answers. It is generally to crew-less ships is a long one, de? ned more by small steps agreed that the technology than gargantuan leaps. For insights, we sat (virtually) with is ahead of both legislation two leaders, Michael G. Johnson, Founder and CEO of Sea and business concerns, such Machines, and Chris Allard, CEO, Metal Shark – two com-

W as insurance. It is also gen- panies that were recently selected by the U.S. Coast Guard 20 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • December 2020

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