Unmanned commercial ships
- Thread starter 14K478
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jamie N
Well-known member
Umhhh?
The vessel is very clever indeed, but looking at the 'ship' that it's deployed from does show how limited it is. The technology to operate an ROV over distance is established, I reckon that this is very specifically targeted at shallow water inshore assets, such as inter island cables and inshore oil lines.
It won't change the game enormously, as I believe it does still require operators online and in the vicinity, albeit it's one step closer to fully autonomous surveying.
I also see that the project was from 2 and a half years ago, but I couldn't find anything more recent about it?
The vessel is very clever indeed, but looking at the 'ship' that it's deployed from does show how limited it is. The technology to operate an ROV over distance is established, I reckon that this is very specifically targeted at shallow water inshore assets, such as inter island cables and inshore oil lines.
It won't change the game enormously, as I believe it does still require operators online and in the vicinity, albeit it's one step closer to fully autonomous surveying.
I also see that the project was from 2 and a half years ago, but I couldn't find anything more recent about it?
The Q
Well-known member
I wonder how it complies with IRPCS
Rule 5 - Look-out
Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision.
Rule 5 - Look-out
Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision.
EugeneR
Well-known member
Nowhere does it say that needs to be done by a human?
Sandy
Well-known member
newtothis
Well-known member
Don't discount the fact that regulations can be changed. IMO's Maritime Safety Committee has been looking at this for a few years already.
SaltyC
Well-known member
The autonomous boat at Fox's amused me, the regs don't say the lookout has to be onboard.
LittleSister
Well-known member
What is 'NG'?
penfold
Well-known member
It's what happens when you lose an eye.
ylop
Well-known member
Probably better than a lot of boats with nobody actually looking out the bridge windows and almost certainly better than solo round the world sailers
penfold
Well-known member
If past experience is guidance the IMO will approve unmanned ships but only if the surveillance/sensor system is based on Windows XP.
capnsensible
Well-known member
Do they have flashing lights? At least the common sense about carrying a liferaft and pyros won't start yet another argument.
Wansworth
Well-known member
Skipper sound asleep on the wheelhouse settee………no NUC lights up
14K478
Well-known member
That is a truly evil maritime in-joke.If past experience is guidance the IMO will approve unmanned ships but only if the surveillance/sensor system is based on Windows XP.
And a very accurate one.
Habebty
Well-known member
I was chatting to one of the blokes servicing these things at Fox's, they have a pretty good set of 360 cameras lots of satcomms etc. and are continuously monitored from the base, thus maintaining a watch. More of a marine drone than autonomous. For testing on the Orwell they are accompanied by a RIB. They have been in the Pacific conducting bathymetric surveys following that big volcano eruption the other year. I would say no real risk to anyone.
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14K478
Well-known member
Thanks.
Long ago I worked for Swire Pacific Offshore and the baby of our fleet was a thousand GT air dive survey ship called the “Pacific Teak” which was based in Brunei on an eternal charter to Shell finding all the pipelines they had lost trace of. She was very much the potted plants on the bridge sort of ship. There was a rather famous story about her regular skipper’s pet monkey and the ship’s cat.
She’s still around at the age of 45 as a yacht (she always was a bit of a yacht!)
She was just the sort of thing that this Fugro drone ship will replace, I fancy.
Long ago I worked for Swire Pacific Offshore and the baby of our fleet was a thousand GT air dive survey ship called the “Pacific Teak” which was based in Brunei on an eternal charter to Shell finding all the pipelines they had lost trace of. She was very much the potted plants on the bridge sort of ship. There was a rather famous story about her regular skipper’s pet monkey and the ship’s cat.
She’s still around at the age of 45 as a yacht (she always was a bit of a yacht!)
She was just the sort of thing that this Fugro drone ship will replace, I fancy.
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Bajansailor
Well-known member
Is this her?
I looked for Pacific Teak on Marinetraffic, and this vessel popped up.
Ship KUDA NIL EXPLORER (Yacht) Registered in Indonesia - Vessel details, Current position and Voyage information - IMO 7821855, MMSI 525005095, Call Sign POIM
14K478
Well-known member
That’s her. The wheelhouse is original, I think. The timber fendering is still there!
She’s lasted at least twice as long as she ought to have done!
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