The World's First Autonomous Ship Will Set Sail In 2018

A Norwegian container ship called the Yara Birkeland will be the world's first electric, autonomous, zero-emissions ship. With a capacity of up to 150 shipping containers, the battery-powered ship will be small compared to modern standards (the biggest container ship in the world holds 19,000 containers, and an average-size ship holds 3,500), but its launch will mark the beginning of a transformation of the global shipping industry. This transformation could heavily impact global trade as well as the environment. The Yara Birkeland is being jointly developed by two Norwegian companies: agricultural firm Yara International, and agricultural firm, and Kongsberg Gruppen, which builds guidance systems for both civilian and military use. The ship will be equipped with a GPS and various types of sensors, including lidar, radar, and cameras--much like self-driving cars.