Emergency communication onboard uncrewed ferries - Exploring the Requirements and Challenges of a Passenger Information and Communication System for Emergency Situations on Autonomous Uncrewed Ferries

Abstract

The maritime sector, like many other industries, is seeing a development in automation; with this, RISE and Trafikverket have started the EMERGE project to explore what a transition to uncrewed ferries would entail. This thesis aims to explore the requirements and challenges of a passenger information and communication system for autonomous uncrewed ferries during emergencies, focusing on man overboard (MOB), fire and evacuation scenarios. First, a literature review was conducted to establish the perceived safety today, relevant design theories, existing solutions, and common procedures for emergency scenarios. This was followed by user studies that explored passengers’ expectations for communication and action from crew and ship if an emergency were to occur, as well as their perceptions of autonomous and uncrewed ferries. The findings indicate that passengers require clear, timely, and trustworthy communication during emergencies. Information should be provided through multiple communication channels, combining auditory and visual cues to improve accessibility and situational awareness. Passengers also expressed a strong preference for human communication during emergencies, highlighting the importance of maintaining a connection to remote operators even in highly automated systems. Furthermore, the findings suggest that passengers are generally willing to assist during emergencies if provided with clear instructions, although emergency procedures should be designed around simple and familiar tasks that do not require specialised knowledge. The absence of onboard personnel also increases the importance of intuitive interfaces that inspire trust, reduce uncertainty, and support informed decision-making under stress. With these findings, a list of requirements was created to guide the ideation and evaluation process. Using design methodologies such as brainwriting, the ideation process yielded many different ideas, which were further developed and assessed through a combination of design methods, workshops, user tests, and expert interviews. This culminated in a final concept consisting of several complementary solutions that together meet the requirements to a level sufficient for use without a crew present, though it requires further development and evaluation before being ready for real-world testing.