In a world first, an autonomous electric ferry began commercial operation in Stockholm last year, transporting up to 25 passengers between islands in the region. Now the vessel has been remotely operated from 600 km away.
The ferry was built by Norway's Brødrene Aa for shipping company Torghatten AS, and later named the MF Estelle. The 12-m-long (39-ft) electric catamaran is capable of carrying up to 25 passengers, and is equipped with four thrusters and a 188-kWh battery for up to 15 hours of daily operation at a service speed of 6 knots (7 mph).
Thanks to technology from Zeabuz, a startup spun out from teams at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, the vessel is capable of autonomous operation. So far there has been a deck officer on board to ensure passenger comfort and safety, and take over if needed.
But the latest trial is, according to the company's Autonomny Engineer, Carl Petersson, "a huge step towards our vision, where we can have the captain sitting in a remote operations center on land, instead of on the vessel itself."
The Remote Operations Center in Trondheim features a carbon copy of the ferry's bridge system and operator interface, with additional screens showing live camera feeds for a 360-degree view around the vessel. After initiating the autonomous crossing from 600 km away, the MF Estelle was remotely monitored as it made its way from the island of Kungsholmen to the Stockholm district of Södermalm.
In addition to the remote team in Norway, key operators were also in the cabin to intervene if necessary. But the trip went without a hitch, with passengers remarking that the demonstration was impressive and smooth.
"We wanted to test if the ferry could cross Riddarfjärden to Söder Mälarstrand all by itself, after just a click of a button 600 kilometers away in Norway," said Håkan Burden, senior researcher at project partner RISE. "The attempt was the first ever of its kind and showed it was possible."
"The demonstration marked an important milestone towards remote operations, which is crucial for scaling and operating an autonomous maritime fleet and enabling a wider range of applications for maritime autonomy," remarked Zeabuz in a LinkedIn post.
Source: Zeabuz via Offshore Energy
On a more serious note - There is a serious security issue for automated public transport, little or no help available for passengers, crime preventing or even stopping a terrorist attack.