Automation in the maritime sector, according to business analysts, is the future of shipping, ports and the vessels themselves, otherwise known as Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS). MASS has been defined as “a ship which, to a varying degrees, can operate independently of human interaction”. Maritime autonomy includes remotely operated and fully autonomous shipping technologies, and both are in rapid development. In the future vessels may have the capability to efficiently and successfully evaluate their surrounding environment and ship health status, enabling them to make crucial decisions regarding their movement and operation.
Currently there are varying degrees of autonomy and agreement on terms internationally is ongoing. According to Lloyds Register (a Classification Society):
Manned ship – traditional manned/crewed vessel with a human operator making decisions.
Remote ship – controlled by a human operator ashore.
Automated ship – running pre-programmed software and can only operate within the scope of the algorithmic data that is fed into the system.
Fully autonomous ship – operating system can calculate consequences and risks and make decisions by itself.
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