Unmanned surface, underwater vessels will dominate maritime activity over next decade, report says

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Maritime activity over the next 10 years will be dominated by unmanned surface and underwater vessels, according to a recently published report conducted by the University of Southampton, LR, and QinetiQ.

“Networks of autonomous surface and underwater vessels are set to radically change the nature of maritime operations,” LR Maritime and Offshore Director Tim Kent said. “Developments widely reported in the media, such as those in autonomous shipping, are happening with greater pace than expected as little as 2 years ago.”

He continued, stating that those developments, enabled by technology, provide new opportunities and potential for disruptive business models. However, the principal challenges will be the integration of autonomous systems into current maritime operations, legal and regulatory requirements, Kent said.

According to Bill Biggs, Senior Campaign Leader for Autonomy at QinetiQ, technological advances in consumer adjacent markets are a real opportunity for the maritime sector.

“Applied artificial intelligence, low-cost low size sensors, increased connectivity, improved cybersecurity and better energy management are all likely to drive rapid and disruptive change,” he said.

Last year, QinetiQ supported the largest-ever demonstration of autonomous maritime systems, called Unmanned Warrior, which ran as part of a multinational exercise for naval forces

“The report recognizes that autonomous systems and associated technologies will require people to learn to work seamlessly with them,” Ajit Shenoi, director of the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute at the University of Southampton, said. “Crew members of the future may become shore based, managing vessels remotely from the office or the sea, creating the need for new training and skill sets.”