Forget Self-Driving Cars, Autonomous Ships Are On The Way

Autonomous ships will likely be on the water before 2020 and frequently used within 15 years, according to Oskar Levander, Vice President of Innovation, Engineering, and Technology at Rolls Royce. The marine branch of Rolls Royce is joining Advanced Autonomous Waterborne Applications in Finland to continue to develop the technology necessary to complete this transition. While most current shipping vessels are able to run purely off GPS, they still have crews aboard to ensure nothing goes awry. Autonomous or remote controlled ships would take away the need for shipping companies to hire crews. Shipping companies are creating more advanced technology and claim there aren't enough people familiar with the developments to run their ships.