Roboship

Rolls-Royce have unveiled plans to build entirely robotic ships that will sail the seas by 2020 – without a crew.

16:21 28 June 2016

Rolls-Royce hope to have a fleet of drone ships sailing around the world, without a single sailor on-board by 2020.

 

The car manufacturing company released a video showing the ships being controlled from a remote operation centre. Two captains monitor the entire ship using a range of technology from a central “holodeck.” This marks the final stage of research that will inform the shipping design concept, labeled as the ‘oX’ operator experience.

 

Oskar Levander, the Vice President of Marine Innovation at Rolls-Royce, said: "This is happening. It's not if, it's when. The technologies needed to make remote and autonomous ships already exist.

"We will see a remote controlled ship in commercial use by the end of the decade."

 

In a white paper exploring their research, the company explained how they could use the latest digital techniques to create safer and more energy efficient ships.

 

"With the demands of environmental legislation and rising operating costs, ships are going to become more complex.

 

"Unmanned ships open up exciting possibilities to redefine the way a ship is designed and functions.

 

"When there are no people on board, many constraints are removed."