Eventual Autonomous Shipping Faces Considerable Hurdles
Context is by far the biggest challenge for machines. Once vessels enter busier waters or are closer to land, other vessels, infrastructure such as offshore wind farms, and similar obstacles emerge. Even at sea, there are a host of hidden hazards that humans are adept at navigating, but it is still unknown whether a machine can successfully avoid collisions.
The 13-hour AUTOSHIP voyage was a success, but learning in real-time with real cargo can be dangerous and costly.