Mayflower 400, the first smart ship in the world is anchored in Plymouth Sound (UK) to prepare for a mission of transatlantic exploration.
Mayflower 400 is a 3-hull ship, weighing 9 tons, 15m long, equipped with a fully automatic navigation system, AI technology and mounted many solar panels. During this journey, the smart ship, covered with solar panels, will study marine pollution and analyze the plastic in the water, as well as monitor aquatic mammals. With 80% of the world under the ocean undiscovered, the Mayflower 400 will have a lot to do. This self-propelled vessel will collect information and data, especially useful for commercial ocean shipping. Brett Phaneuf, the creator of the Mayflower 400 project, believes that the ocean is the place with the strongest impact on the global climate, so investing in this environmental research will be of great help in the fight against climate change. Rosie Lickorish, a new technology expert at IBM, partner in the Mayflower 400 project, affirms that the unmanned ship will bring a great advantage for exploring unprecedented environments, especially distant seas. Many technology and service providers, hundreds of individuals from many countries such as India, Switzerland and the US have participated in this project. Initially, the project was estimated to cost about $ 1 million, but the cost increased by about 10 times. The non-profit venture will provide the data collected by the project at a completely free price. The information could be used specifically for the future of the commercial shipping industry. It is expected that the ship will depart on May 15 after being licensed by British officials, the destination is Plymouth, Massachusetts (USA). This is the journey that the first Mayflower in 1620 carried a group of pilgrims to find a new land – America. Mayflower 400 will make this itinerary in 3 weeks. While the Mayflower 400’s trip was delayed due to the pandemic, Phaneuf said at least no one would get sick during the trip. “No one will feel bored or tired or sick during this uninhabited journey. So the ship can do science for as long as you like, ”he said from British port. Meirwen Jenking-Rees, a 21-year-old engineering student, tested the ship’s engine before it went to sea trials. Manufacturing is automated from the robotic rudder to the solar-powered diesel generator in a year. Building an “intelligent captain”, artificial intelligence on board, takes even longer because computers have to learn to identify maritime obstacles by analyzing thousands of images. The Mayflower 400 must also be taught how to avoid a collision and set sail for the first time. Robot and software engineer Ollie Thompson says that, by running a number of “scripts”, the ship can learn “what is good action, what is bad, what is safe and what is not”. . So if it makes a mistake, the boat can repair itself and learn from experience. The automatic ship uses “eyes” and “ears” – a complex system of six cameras and radar – to continue self-study. Due to the lack of regulations surrounding the deployment of unmanned boats, the Mayflower 400 has yet to be tested in rough seas or storms, a situation Jenking-Rees describes as a “worst case scenario”. In the simulated settings, however, the smart boat was faced with waves as high as 50 meters. The boat’s artificial intelligence will play an important role in conducting scientific experiments, Lickorish explained. The group will monitor the ship 24/24 from the UK, ready to intervene remotely in case of danger.
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