Rolls-Royce and Finnish state-owned ferry operator Finferries have successfully demonstrated the world’s first fully autonomous ferry in the archipelago south of the city of Turku, Finland.
The ferry FALCO, used a combination of Rolls-Royce Ship Intelligence technologies to successfully navigate autonomously during its voyage between Parainen and Nauvo. The return journey was conducted under remote control.
New Ship Simulator
Rolls-Royce Commercial Marine has inaugurated a brand new ship simulator in Ålesund, Norway. It will be used for customer training courses, and for advanced engineering and technology development work.
Rolls-Royce has launched its latest in a series of LNG fuelled marine engines at the SMM maritime exhibition in Hamburg.
Kongsberg Gruppen ASA entered into agreement with Rolls-Royce plc to acquire Rolls-Royce Commercial Marine, a technology business within maritime operations.
The transaction is structured as an acquisition by KONGSBERG of the marine products, systems and aftermarket services businesses carried out by subsidiaries of Rolls-Royce plc. The transaction does not include Bergen Engines nor Rolls-Royce’s Naval Business.
Photo: KONGSBERG CEO Geir Håøy (right) and Tristan Halford-Maw, Deputy Director, M&A Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce and Finferries have signed a collaboration agreement to develop solutions to optimize the safety and efficiency of marine operations through developing the technology for decision supporting systems, and to demonstrate remote and autonomous ferry operations.
A key focus of the collaboration will be a new research project, called SVAN (Safer Vessel with Autonomous Navigation).
Hurtigruten has signed a Letter of Intent with Rolls-Royce for a major environmental upgrade programme to hybrid power. The main engines on up to nine ships will switch from diesel to LNG and the upgrade will also include installation of a hybrid battery system.
Hurtigruten was recently awarded licenses by the Norwegian Government for seven out of 11 coastal ferry routes. One of the key requirements from the Government of the route’s operator was a reduction in CO2-emissions. With its plans for a major upgrade, Hurtigruten will be able to continue operating its existing fleet on the route and at the same time meet these new stricter environmental demands.
Photo: Mike Louagie
Rolls-Royce has signed a deal with Google to develop further its intelligent awareness systems which are making existing vessels safer and are essential to making autonomous ships a reality.
The agreement allows Rolls-Royce to use Google’s Cloud Machine Learning Engine to further train the company’s artificial-intelligence-based object classification system for detecting, identifying and tracking the objects a vessel can encounter at sea.
Photo © Rolls-Royce