Autonomous ship research centre opened

Rolls-Royce’s Research & Development Centre for Autonomous Ships includes a remote and autonomous experience space aimed at showcasing the autonomous ship technologies Rolls-Royce has already introduced as well as those in the development stage.

Karno Tenovuo, Rolls-Royce senior vice president, ship intelligence, said: “It will completely focus on the development of solutions capable of smoothing the maritime industry’s transition to the digital age. An autonomous maritime ecosystem will open up unprecedented opportunities.”

The new R&D Centre in Turku will enable Rolls-Royce and its partners to carry out projects focussed on autonomous navigation, the development of land-based control centres, and the use of artificial intelligence in future remote and autonomous shipping operations.

The experience space also aims to aid the development introduction of new rules and standards for autonomous shipping.

Six years ago Rolls-Royce launched its first autonomous ship development project UXUS (User Experience for Complex Systems).