How Autonomous Ships Could Change the World

Autonomous or self controlled (or even remotely controlled) transport ships are not far away from reality. Their use will save money from the need for human crew (and the associated living space and living requirements). It could also improve transport efficiency, especially when combined with automated docking and cargo transfer

Container ships move most goods around the world when they need to cross oceans (about 90% of all globally traded goods). These ships need crews and their associated space and supplies. During the covid lockdown period, and possibly at other times, there has been a shortage of crews available.

A container ship will typically have about 17 to 20 crew on board.

As is often the case, the implementation of automated shipping depends on the technical implementation and the regulatory approval to do so. If the costs of these changes are lower than the ongoing costs of crewing transport ships, then automation will happen.

Some other areas that need to be automated to really bring down the costs of shipping transport include:

One item that may go completely away if autonomous ships becomes a reality, is the option of traveling as a passenger on cargo ships.

Some examples of autonomous ships or projects in the industry include:

What other benefits or problems do you think may come from the widespread use of automated cargo ships?