26 Oct 2017

Autonomous ships on the horizon

From Morning Report, 6:19 am on 26 October 2017

Self-driving cars, driverless trucks, and airliners that fly on autopilot. They'll soon be commonplace. But how about crewless ships? New Zealand interest in the technology - which could allow ships to sail with no one, or just a handful of people, on board - is growing along with international developments. The world's first autonomous container ship, built by shipping and aerospace company Kongsberg, will carry fertiliser from next year along coastal routes in Norway, while Rolls Royce Marine has signed a deal with Google to help with the technology for piloting autonomous ships.