We all know about the revolution happening for smart technology in houses and even cars. With computers helping drivers with collision avoidance and backing up, the roads are getting safer. Google Home and Amazon Alexa are changing the ways we interact with technology, and how we can integrate those things into the everyday items we often take for granted. Does that mean ships will become smart as well? In many ways they already have. So how will smart ships impact the maritime industry? Let’s take a closer look.
Autonomous and electric ships.
There are already some ships being built with smart technology including autonomous and electric ships. The Yara Birkeland will begin operations in 2019. It is expected that smart ships like this one will bring multiple benefits including lower energy costs, better design for shipping, and a lower risk of human error while at sea.
The human factor.
However, there is some concern about the lack of human interaction on these ships both from the pro and con sides. There may be some thoughts about navigational safety that can only be avoided with human decision-making processes. There is also the risk of hacking from a variety of interests.
Not a removal of risk, but a change.
Ultimately, the use of smart technology on ships, especially when it comes to autonomy, will not remove the risk all together but shift it into other areas of the industry. In many cases, the human operator will simply be transitioned from on the ship to a control center on shore, which means the risk is simply altered, not eliminated.
Small-scale changes over time.
Overall, the shipping industry doesn’t have to expect those huge aspects of the industry are going to change immediately. There will likely be much smaller changes over a long period of time as smart ship technology is released that can be installed on the smaller scale. With ships like the Yara Birkeland proving the viability of autonomous ships, the big changes will happen slowly.
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Are you interested in learning more about smart technology in the shipping industry? Contact our team at Hutco to learn more today.
