Autonomous ships and the operator's role in a Shore Control Centre - A comparative analysis on projects in the Scandinavian region and implementing the experience of Mariners to a new field of shipping

Abstract

Automation is a concept that is rapidly evolving in many fields. The development of autonomous cars and trucks are already being seen publicly. Autonomous ships is bound to follow but the complexity of ships creates a big challenge. The main reasons autonomous systems are under continuous development is to improve safety and reduce cost. There is a general demand that autonomous ships must be at least as safe as conventional ships. To make autonomous ships safe, human errors needs to be reduced as much as possible, while still having a human in the loop. This paper describes how to balance safety and costs when designing a shore control centre. A comparative analysis was conducted on three different projects to create a complete picture on the current concepts of autonomous ships. Especially on the ideas of the shore control centre and the operator's role in such domains. The conclusions were further discussed with actors in similar fields of work. This was done to establish how Bridge Resource Management can be adapted into the existing concepts for autonomous ships. The work routine of an operator could be similar to that of an officer and therefore, well established bridge routines should be looked at when designing a shore control centre.