Targeting unmanned shipping
Germany’s Fraunhofer CML is looking at the problem of unmanned shipping – one of the main topics up for discussion at the e-Navigation Underway 2014 conference.
The conference, which took place onboard the MS Pearl Seaways from 28 to 30 January, looked at the subject of e-navigation – the collection, analysis and exchange of maritime information both on land and at sea.
Fraunhofer CML’s Hans-Christoph Burmeister who spoke at the conference illustrated how the journey from e-navigation to autonomous shipping could be achieved.
“Autonomous shipping has many benefits. For instance, it can contribute to lowering operational costs and reducing environmental pollution. At the same time, if offers new career opportunities for maritime experts, enabling them to work on land for the most part and thus remain within in their social surroundings,” he explained.
“The topic of unmanned shipping goes beyond e-navigation, which has been the context to date. However, research in this area does profit greatly from e-navigation,” he added.
As part of the Maritime Unmanned Navigation through Intelligence in Networks (MUNIN) project, Fraunhofer says it will advance research on unmanned shipping with the dev4elopment of a modern sensor system and a function indicator system which monitors ships’ status.
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