Marine autonomy has gained a lot of momentum recently as many organizations have decided to take this important step. Indeed, a system that removes the human element of the equation completely is very powerful and has many advantages. But what exactly is autonomy?

Marine autonomy refers to a set of rules or policies which govern how autonomous operation of vessels is to be conducted. Such policies may include guidelines for the use of power, navigation and even for the boarding and crewing of these vessels. This also involves the assignment of responsibilities and duties to crew members and the determination of rewards and punishments for flagging activities. All activities are then monitored by senior officials in charge of the organization. There are different areas of autonomy to cover such areas as individual operations at sea, support services, safety management, resources, communication and information, safety and security, and foreign policy coordination and intelligence.

The introduction of such a system would eliminate the need for human supervision. This means that there would be no longer any need for any human personnel involved in day to day operations on any vessel. For those in maritime services such a system would also benefit those in uniform who act as part of the armed forces.

They would not have to remain in touch with their home bases to report back and for whom visual contact is usually very important.

Those in other maritime environments such as coastal regions also stand to gain from the introduction of this system. They would have direct control over the operations of their ships. The implication of this is that there would be a reduction in the chance of collision between two ships or between more than two vessels. Again this translates to greater safety for the general public as any collision could result in fatalities and also damage to property.

These autonomous operation or remotely piloted vehicles will play a major role in international operations. For example, there are some very large cruise ships operating in several countries today. Many of these ships are armed with sophisticated weapons systems. Each of these weapons has been designed and built by the ship's in-charge robotics systems. This means that each one is capable of firing off multiple missiles and firing them all at the same time without hesitation. This would definitely reduce the chances of any unfortunate collisions.  Visit www.gibbscox.com/core-capabilites/naval-architecture/ to get more about these services.

In order for such autonomous operation or remotely piloted vehicles to be deployed in any environment there would need to be a viable operational procedure. This would involve either a certification process by the relevant authorities or a request for a waiver from the Maritime and Ownership Authority. Such a request is normally made when the nature of the equipment involved is that of a marine vehicle. However, a similar request can be made for any other type of unmanned aerial vehicle. Once a clear operational procedure is developed and agreed upon all parties involved will then need to agree upon a way in which all of the vehicles operated by the joint venture to be monitored and kept under consistent control. If you want to know more about this topic, then click here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_logistics.