Automatic ferry enters regular service

This landmark event, which took place on a vessel fully loaded with passengers and vehicles and demonstrated fully automatic control from dock to dock, was made possible by collaboration between shipping company Bastø Fosen, Kongsberg and the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA).

Gunnar Pedersen, executive vice president of integrated solutions, Kongsberg Maritime, said, “Leaving the quay, crossing and docking again, all at the press of a button – this is a world first. This is a big day for everyone involved – this is the future.”

The Bastø Fosen VI will now use adaptive transit functions developed from Kongsberg Maritime’s advanced systems to enhance the daily operation of its Horten-Moss service, while continuing to carry a full complement of crew.

The fully-integrated digital system on Bastø Fosen VI automatically performs all docking and crossing functions, ensuring that best practice is followed on every transit. The result is more exact timekeeping and improved customer satisfaction: during trials in December, Bastø Fosen VI consistently arrived within two seconds of the scheduled time.

The ferry now enters a six-month trial period during which the automatic system – called ‘adaptive transit’ – is expected to control the vessel for most services, but the captain will remain in charge and the bridge will be fully staffed. At present, the installed equipment is not fully autonomous; if vessels or objects are detected on a collision course an alarm will sound and the captain will take control.