As you may have heard, we’re officially living in the future now. Though we may be a ways off from hoverboarding to work, when it comes to self-driving tech, we may only be a decade or two away from seeing a steering-wheel-less world. With this technology already in testing on our roadways today, the question nearly asks itself: are autonomous boats on the horizon as well?
When people conceptualize autonomous boats and cars, they’re usually filled with a complicated swirl of interest and concern; that is completely normal, we promise. Though it may be appealing to imagine waking up for the hour-long commute to work every morning just to turn that into an hour-long nap, how much can we trust that our trusty robot chauffeur isn’t going to steer us directly into Farmer Jim’s cow farm instead of the turnpike?
If the general success of self-driving car testing is any indicator, autonomous boats may be safer than you’d think. Though there have been cases of accidents involving cars in autonomous mode (one of which was fatal), for the most part, this tech has begun showing real promise on real roads, performing such complicated tasks as anticipating sudden stops, avoiding swerving cars and generally flowing with traffic. All of these advancements surely imply that tech would only improve and apply directly to autonomous boats. Oh, and MIT is also developing the tech behind it, so there’s that.
Along with two Dutch universities, MIT is working on a project playfully coined as the Roboat, which will launch in the form of ferries in the near future. On the commercial front, this tech could lead to the automation of cargo ships, which Rolls-Royce is actively researching. Though leisure boating hasn’t been the focus of autonomous boat technology, there is no question that these advancements could leak into the retail market at any moment.
Would you be interested in a self-driving boat or do you think that’s half the fun? Regardless of the future, the control of today’s boats is most certainly in your hands, which means safety is as well. Always be sure to follow posted wake limits, double check your safety equipment before departing and keep an eye out for fellow boaters. That is, until you can leave the navigation to Wall-E or Rosie the Robot.
For more on the future of autonomous boats, check out this excellent article from ComputerWorld.com.
