Edge computing helps power autonomous ‘Mayflower’ ship across Atlantic Ocean
The Mayflower sailed across the Atlantic Ocean once more after its maiden voyage over 400 years ago, though this time without any human crew and completely automated in a claimed first.
The Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS), built and designed by marine research non-profit ProMare, completed a transatlantic voyage from Plymouth, England, to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on June 5, the project’s leaders confirmed in a LinkedIn post. The 40-day odyssey is said to have crossed 3,500 miles (5,600km) autonomously with no humans aboard.
The MAS, a 50-foot-long (15m) solar-powered trimaran, is equipped with six cameras powered by artificial intelligence (AI) named AI Captain, 30 sensors, 15 edge devices, navigation tech, and a weather station. The AI Captain can use the acquired information and data to obey maritime law while making real-time decisions like steering away from hazards and collisions with marine animals or recognizing dangerous weather conditions.
Partners involved in the design and manufacture of MAS include IBM, Iridium, Red Hat, Nvidia, Intellisense, and many other companies, research organizations, and universities.
The news follows other recent achievements in the autonomous marine vessel field. A subsidiary of HD Hyundai claimed to have successfully completed the first autonomous navigation of a large ship across an ocean. The Global Times reports China completed the first trial of an autonomous, unmanned 200-ton-class surface vessel that could serve military functions without placing sailors at risk.
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Article Topics
autonomous | computer vision | edge AI | IBM | ProMare | shipping | transportation | video analytics
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