Just reading the headline confuses me. . . .
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Try reading the article.
Not sure if it will make you less confused though. (Iâm still confused)
More gadgets to improve situation awareness to be installed on a Maersk ship:
Will this help, or create more confusion??
Tough to tell without seeing a demonstration of the equipment in my opinion. The article I read made it sound like a heads up display, but I donât know how you transition that to a ships bridge. VR goggles? A console like a radar with a FLIR camera that can sweep the horizon and highlight perceived targets of interest? Something like that Rolls Royce crazy bridge window concept could be interesting but I donât think the tech is quite there yet.
It definitely sounds like something with the potential to suck in and focus all of the watch officers attention on as the one stop shop for collision avoidance and that doesnât sound good to me.
I assume you are referring to Ulstein Bridge Vision with heads up display on the windows?:
Here is a video presentation:
They have received prizes and grants for their vision:
Looks like it. For some reason I thought it was a RR product. This Boston product sounds aftermarket, as in not designed with the vessel at construction so Iâm having trouble picturing it in service.
Last week RR presented autotracking, now Wartsila presents its autodocking system :
A combination of the two will complete the voyage from Quay-to-Quay 
I posted the above some 10 days ago.
Here is more from the same source:
So RRM is well under way with their system.
many countries have had auto dock on ferries for years. Its pretty simple technology.
Thatâs interesting as Wartsila is presenting this as a worldâs first. Do you have examples?
maybe they mean without DP?
KM Darps has been around for years, can do that with a moving target
L3/Wartsila have a system to allow an OSV to come alongside a sub and resupply
they can move the Space X platform under the rocket on DP
I have been told auto approach for ferries is common in areas with fog
A DP system with a range and bearing as a set point move is pretty simple.
Thatâs possible yes. Here they have used a traditional ferry design with ( I suppose ) a combination of GPS data with fixed onshore targets for precision approach speed and direction data. In the core pretty simple, however it must be an exciting experience for a ferry captain the first time he approaches the quay âhands-freeâ
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Maersk may not be interested in autonomous container ships, but they are certainly interested in IA technology in general:
http://www.marinemec.com/news/view,maersk-is-sitting-in-the-autonomous-drivers-seat_51546.htm
Iâm slotted to attend SUNY maritime academy this fall and all of this is pretty concerning to hear.
just make sure its a dual course where you learn how to fix them as well as drive them
Mill about in these forums for a while and you wonât find much optimism for the survival of the US Merchant Marine. On the bright side, it was that way long before talk of autonomous ships cropped up. Including twenty some odd years ago when I first matriculated at that same educational institution.
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In your professional opinion: do you recommend to stay the course, or steer away from this field?
Well I donât plan on giving up on it until it gives up on me and I think there are many more out here like me. Most of us got into this field because we enjoy the work, the lifestyle, and the living it provides. Not necessarily in any particular order. Some like the money more than anything else, but that is not in my opinion the driving motivator of why I go to sea. Itâs because deep down I know I was born to do it. If you feel an inkling of that, you should pursue your course of study at the academy.
Autonomous ships may happen in the future but there will always be some niche within the industry that all of us with this specialized knowledge and skills should fit into.
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That is the spirit. Even if autonomous ships appear in limited number in a few areas during the next 10 years that is not going to affect the job market to any large degree.
The âsmart shipsâ development may reduce the number of crew required on ships sooner, but also not to the extent that seafarers with the right knowledge, attitude and willingness to upgrade their skills to stay relevant will not be in demand. Those who donât may have a problem though.
There is a shortage of well trained Officers and Engineers in the world right now and that is expected to increase in the years to come as the shipping fleet grows with demand. Nationality are not an issue due to STCW being applied worldwide.
Countries like China, India and the East European countries are developing fast, thus being less likely to remain suppliers of rankings in the future, while the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar and some other countries in Asia are likely to be the main source in the foreseeable future.
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Speaking of Smart Ships; Bourbon has been named âShipowner of the Yearâ for itâs âSmart Shippingâ program:
https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/04/27/1488753/0/en/BOURBON-wins-the-Shipowner-of-the-Year-award-by-GST-Shipping2030-for-its-Smart-Shipping-program.html