2017
Rolls-Royce and Svitzer manoeuvre the 28-metre, 132-dwt tug Svitzer Hermod (built 2016) in Copenhagen, controlled by a master at a remote base in the towage group’s headquarters.
Wartsila uses a standard satellite link from California to operate the dynamic positioning system of Gulfmark’s 4,000-dwt platform supply vessel Highland Chieftain (built 2013), off the coast of Scotland.
Agricultural group Yara International and Kongsberg start developing the 3,200-dwt, 120-teu Yara Birkeland, later ordered from Vard. Plans to operate the vessel on a Norwegian coastal route in 2020 have been delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
2018:
Wartsila runs two trials on Norled’s 1,200-gt passenger and car ferry Folgefonn (built 1998), completing an autonomous dock-to-dock operation between three ports in southern Norway.
ABB and Helsinki City remotely operate the electric-propelled, 329-gt passenger ferry Suomenlinna II (built 2004), from the centre of the Finnish city to a pre-defined area of its harbour.
Rolls-Royce Marine and Finferries demonstrate an autonomous 1.5-mile voyage by the 54-metre, double-ended, 517-gt car ferry Falco (built 1993), using sensor fusion and artificial intelligence.
The Massterly unmanned shipping company is formed by Kongsberg and shipowner Wilh Wilhelmsen Holding, to be involved with the Yara Birkeland and other autonomous projects.
2019:
Japan's NYK Line completes a first trial voyage using an autonomous navigation system on its 7,125-ceu car carrier Iris Leader (built 2015), sailing between Japan and China.
A three-year Danish effort — Shipping Lab — is set up with 30 companies including J Lauritzen, Maersk Tankers, DFDS and Torm.
Iceland’s Samskip launches the Seashuttle project to build two autonomous boxships that will connect Poland, Sweden and the Oslo Fjord.
2020:
Kongsberg starts a four-year autonomous project with research group SINTEF on the 1,467-dwt Eidsvaag Pioneer (built 2013), sailing to fish farms in Norwegian fjords, and a Blue Line Logistics pallet shuttle barge on waterways between European container ports.
NYK Group joins the Designing The Future Of Full Autonomous Ship Project of 22 Japanese marine technology companies to run a long-distance coastal trial in 2021.
MOL Group plans autonomous voyages with Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding and Furuno Electric for its 11,410-gt ropax ferry Sun Flower Shiretoko (built 2001) and Imoto Lines’ 194-teu Mikage (built 2015).
ASKO Maritime — a unit of big Norwegian food retailer NorgesGruppen — signs a deal for India's Cochin Shipyard to build two 67-metre-long, unmanned electric cargo ferries, with options for two more.
2021:
The Mayflower Autonomous Ship — built by research group Promare and a consortium including IBM — aims to be the first full-size vessel to cross the Atlantic with no crew after Covid-19 delays prevent a 400-year anniversary sailing of the first Mayflower in 1620 from taking place.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will test autonomous ship technology on a 15,400-gt ropax ferry that it is building for Japanese ferry operator Shin Nihonkai.
