IBM’s Self-Driving Ship Successfully Crosses The Atlantic From The UK
IBM has announced its Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) has finally completed its historic transatlantic voyage, sailing from Plymouth, UK to Halifax, Nova Scotia. This remarkable moment marks the first time a self-driving ship has travelled across the Atlantic Ocean.
First unveiled in September 2020, the MAS bears no human captain or crew onboard, relying on the company’s automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and computing technologies to power the ship’s ‘AI Captain’—who “guides” the vessel as it traverses the waves and makes real-time decisions while out at sea.
According to a press release, the vessel was equipped with six AI-powered cameras, over 30 sensors, and 15 Edge devices, which are used to receive input that is then turned into actionable suggestions for the AI Captain.
It remained on its own for 40 days, accumulating approximately 3,500 unnamed miles in the water.
Impressively, just with this, the AI Captain was able to adhere to maritime law all throughout the trip, while making split-second decisions when necessary, including rerouting itself around hazards or avoiding marine animals, all without the need for any human intervention.
While the feat may seem to only be relevant to mariners, IBM posited that the way the AI Captain learns from data, weighs up choices, manages risk, and optimizes decisions could possibly be applied to machine learning in other industries across the board.
In particular, it highlighted the transparency of the AI’s decision-making process as a core component of its success, as it allows us humans to understand why the machine chooses to make certain decisions, especially within heavily regulated industries.
As IBM put it: “The Mayflower’s journey began in the Atlantic. But this voyage of discovery and technology advancement is only just beginning.”
How else will this breakthrough technology be applied to autonomous services in our everyday lives? The possibilities seem endless.
