A future where cargo ships travel across the sea with little or no crew on board is moving closer to reality.
Researchers and industry partners in Norway have helped develop both the technology and the first international guidelines needed to make autonomous shipping possible.
The idea is simple: instead of having a full crew on every vessel, ships could largely operate themselves while being monitored by trained navigators working from shore-based control centers.
If a vessel encounters a problem, the shore team can step in and provide assistance.
Technology for autonomous vessels already exists. One example is Reach Remote 1, a 24-meter-long vessel designed to map and inspect the seabed without a crew on board.
Another example is Marit, an electric vessel built to cross Norway’s Oslofjord.
Although Marit currently carries two people for safety reasons while awaiting final approval, it is designed to operate without onboard crew.
Researchers say autonomous shipping could offer major benefits. Smaller ships can be built because they no longer need living quarters and other facilities for large crews. This reduces energy use and lowers emissions.
At the same time, one shore-based crew could monitor several vessels, helping shipping companies reduce costs and address growing labor shortages.
The maritime industry is already facing a shortage of qualified workers. A 2021 industry report estimated that the world could be short nearly 89,000 ship officers by 2026.
Moving some maritime jobs onto land could make the profession more attractive. Workers would have more regular schedules and spend more time with their families instead of being away at sea for long periods.
Working from shore could also make maritime careers accessible to people who may not be able to work onboard ships. For example, someone who uses a wheelchair could potentially work in a remote operations center.
To help make this future possible, researchers at SINTEF Ocean and engineers at Kongsberg Maritime have been working together on the SEAMLESS project. The project focuses on developing the technology needed for fully automated cargo transport on short shipping routes and inland waterways.
One challenge is making sure shore-based crews receive the right information. During normal operations, operators only see the most important data so they can monitor several vessels at once. If a ship encounters a problem, the system automatically alerts the crew and provides a more detailed view.
The project has also helped shape a new voluntary regulatory framework for autonomous shipping that was recently adopted by the International Maritime Organization. This framework provides important guidance for testing and operating autonomous vessels safely.
In a recent demonstration in Norway’s Oslofjord, researchers successfully showed that multiple vessels could be managed as part of a single autonomous fleet under real-world conditions. The demonstration helped prove that the concept can work outside the laboratory.
While fully autonomous cargo fleets are still a few years away, researchers believe the industry has reached an important milestone.
As technology improves and regulations continue to develop, many of the goods people order in the future may travel across the sea on ships that largely operate themselves while crews safely guide them from shore.
