EDITORIAL COMMENT


Robot ships


Rolls-Royce says that the future of shipping is the development of remote controlled ships to fi ll the ship intelligence gap


C


rew training has come to the fore for ship designers as company CEO’s seek to recruit and train


enough personnel to operate their vessels. It seems that the expected growth in


the maritime industry will exacerbate this already chronic crewing problem. Help is, however, at hand. According to Rolls- Royce, automation is the answer and the automated vessel will be delivered through a series of evolutions. T e UK-based company says that “T e


best way to predict the future is to create the future,” and to meet that demand Rolls- Royce has designed a number of systems and vessels that will begin the evolutionary journey of the maritime industry. Oskar Levander, Rolls-Royce’s vice


president innovation, engineering and technology, marine, says that there are fundamental changes to the maritime industry that have already set the tone of change. LNG is established as the third fuel, says Levander, with the introduction of batteries and hybrids yet to come; then there will be ship intelligence which will see the sensors placed around ships so that shore-based crew will be able to monitor the vessel’s performance. Finally vessels will be unmanned and the new era of shipping will be fully realised. According to Levander, there is already


a palpable shiſt from vessel to fl eet optimi- sation, with fi ve areas of optimisation that can be delivered through ship intelligence: energy saving, improved safety, reduced maintenance costs, the availability of the asset increased and the usability also improved.


The Naval Architect January 2015


Moves towards fl eet optimisation have


evolved through the use of data, which is now collected from key elements of the ship as it is operating, but as new ship designs are developed the mass of data from engines, trim, navigational aids and more will increase signifi cantly. T is data will be coupled with real time camera images that will allow distant operators to assess the vessel’s situation and monitor cargo. If confirmation is needed Martin


Stopford, of Clarksons, has independently produced a similar view, albeit from a diff erent starting point in these very pages (See pages 18-21). In a paper first delivered to Indian


industry figures last month Stopford praises the work of naval architects for delivering real savings through greater effi ciencies over the last 150 years, but he says with every development and increase in vessel size the benefi ts become harder to realise. Revolution is a necessary development


for the industry to meet future demands, both technological and psychological, the latter because we must overcome our fear of change. Stopford believes that there is also


a gap that has arisen as the shipping industry has evolved with today’s CEO’s less likely to have served at sea and they are, therefore, less likely to understand the need for technological change and the potential benefi ts that it could bring to their company and society at large. Levander, is more optimistic that the


industry can be made to see the benefi ts of this brave new world. Embracing change is never easy, but if “We can demonstrate customer value then owners will turn,” says Levander. He adds that it will take time. Benefi ts are not just restricted to the


operational efficiencies of the vessel operators, but include the ability to off er crew more comfortable and far safer working conditions where they can be near their families. In addition most accidents are as a result of human error, and therefore unmanned ships will be signifi cantly safer as they do not suff er from fatigue, as their human counter- parts do, and they will have a high degree of redundancy so that they remain safe should there be a failure of one of the systems. “A pool of 10 captains will be able to


control 100 ships,” says Levander. And that will also bring down costs for the owner who will be able to build ships without the accoutrements necessary to maintain a comfortable working environment and to aid the navigation of the vessel. Regulatory changes will also be


necessary with regulations currently exclusively devised for ships that are manned. Regulations such as the Safety Of Life At Sea code (SOLAS) will need to be re-written. Ships operating locally and making


short journeys will most likely be the fi rst automated ships, such as ferries; with the move to ocean-going vessels following. Roboship may soon be sailing to a port


near you! NA 7


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