Predictive analytics, meanwhile, can be used to make smarter routing decisions that minimise fuel usage based on weather, currents and other variables. Data-driven maintenance regimes can reduce equipment downtime and costly repairs, and vessel operators can also uncover patterns in their data to identify and eliminate operational inefficiencies by pinpointing bottlenecks and pain points – such as port space.
As data science capabilities mature, the maritime industry will have powerful new tools to increase productivity, reduce expenses, and shrink its environmental footprint through improved efficiency.
AI MEANS FEWER PEOPLE AT SEA
The drive for efficiency will inevitably lead to reduced crew sizes over the next 30 years. As more vessel data is streamed to shore-side teams for monitoring and analysis, there will be less need for large onboard crews. This will allow shipping companies to reduce personnel costs, which represent a major expense given the requirements for highly trained and credentialed seafarers.
Recently Kongsberg Maritime announced that it has received Approval in Principle from the regulators to move the role of the Chief Engineer from the ship to a shore-based control centre, which will eventually see a huge number of roles leave vessels. However, with leaner crews, maritime operators must get smarter about crew training, human-machine interfaces, workload management and operational resilience. While technologies open the door to smaller teams, this also introduces new human risks that must be carefully managed. Maintaining safety and readiness with skeleton crews will require innovative approaches.
AI MARINE AUTOPILOTS WILL GET SMARTER, BUT WON’T FULLY TAKE OVER (YET)
That said, I do not envisage a maritime system based on full autonomy in the near future. While autopilot and autonomous navigation systems will certainly get smarter,
ships are incredibly complex vessels that will still require human oversight for the foreseeable future.
Even as autopilots advance, ships demand constant care, maintenance and human intervention that cutting-edge technology cannot [yet] fully replace. Additionally, the ships being built today have long lifespans of 20-30 years, meaning much of the existing fleet won’t be compatible with comprehensive automation until these are retired.
Nonetheless, we can expect to see autopilot systems taking on ever more roles as they evolve to become more capable platforms.
DATA MEANS SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND SAFETY AT SEA WILL BE STATE-OF-THE-ART
Technology is also helping to make seafaring safer, both for crews and passengers aboard vessels of all shapes and sizes.
Platforms such as MARSS’s NiDAR (which integrates with the vessels’ existing cameras and navigational systems to feed into a single tactical picture and is used by superyachts for security) for example, are pooling data from different sensors to create a single, intuitive picture, delivering highly advanced situational awareness and protection across surface and air domains.
Automated man-overboard systems are also enhancing marine safety. For example, MARSS’ MOBtronic ensures the instant detection, classification and rescue support of a human falling overboard a vessel or maritime structure and is already deployed across several cruise fleets.
Indeed, as detection systems become recognised as reliable systems, the maritime industry will be compelled to install them across all vessels. It is easy to foresee, in 30 years’ time, that every seafaring vessel over a certain size will be running a man-overboard detection system. And, as these systems become ever smarter, these same platforms could be used to detect other activities, such as illegal dumping to protect the environment.
For more information:
https://marss.com
THE REPORT | SEP 2024 | ISSUE 109 | 133
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