New code will certify unmanned vessels

The goal-based LR Unmanned Marine Systems Code provides an assurance process to certify the safe design, build and maintenance of UMS against a structured framework designed to minimise the effort required by an owner or operator to achieve certification and which is acceptable to flag states, local regulators and other parties.

Tim Kent, LR’s marine & offshore technical director, said: “It complements our existing work on cyber-enabled ships and is also intended to support any future regulatory development by the IMO or national bodies.”

The Code has been written to support innovation by establishing requirements for which compliance can be demonstrated using a tailored combination of standards, or where standards do not exist, the application of risk-based assessment techniques. LR then applies verification methods according to the solution selected.

LR stated that the goal-based structure defines an ultimate safety objective whilst allowing for the consideration of alternative designs and solutions that meet the safety objective.

Whilst the code is initially targeted at small non-convention sized UMS, LR said it is scalable and capable of application to larger, more complex vessels as technology and regulation develops.