Researchers Michele Martelli, Antonio Virdis, Alberto Gotta, Pietro CassarÀ, and Maria Di Summa have published a groundbreaking study on the future of marine traffic management systems for autonomous ships. Their work, which focuses on the digitalisation of shipping, envisions a future where fully autonomous and reliable ships navigate the seas without human intervention.
The study highlights the significant progress made in developing onboard systems for autonomous ships. However, it also points out that shore facilities are not yet equipped to handle these advanced technologies. The researchers aim to bridge this gap by proposing innovative technologies and methodologies for a futuristic Vessel Traffic System. This system is designed to ensure faultless data acquisition and processing, provide input to decision-making systems, and suggest evasive manoeuvres to deal with hazards and system failures without human intervention onboard.
The proposed system is composed of three interacting layers. The first layer is an artificially intelligent tool designed to detect and control autonomous ships. This tool utilises situation recognition and obstacle avoidance strategies to ensure safe navigation. The second layer is an orchestration and management platform that coordinates the sensing-actuation infrastructure and the AI algorithms results made available by multiple ships. This platform employs edge and distributed computing techniques to meet the specific harsh requirements of the sea environment. The final layer is a holistic guidance-navigation-control framework that manages the navigation of autonomous ships in crowded areas.
To validate the innovative system without the need for a full-scale scenario, the researchers suggest a cyber-physical scenario. This scenario uses both a ship digital-twin and a real model-scale ship, allowing for comprehensive testing and validation of the system’s capabilities.
The practical applications of this research are immense. As the maritime industry moves towards greater autonomy, the need for robust and reliable traffic management systems becomes paramount. The proposed system could revolutionise marine traffic management, ensuring safer and more efficient navigation for autonomous ships. This could lead to significant reductions in maritime accidents, improved fuel efficiency, and lower operational costs. Furthermore, the system’s ability to operate without human intervention could open up new possibilities for long-distance and remote shipping routes, further expanding the reach and capabilities of the maritime industry. Read the original research paper here.