MIT team deploys first full-scale autonomous ship in Amsterdam canal
Release time：2024-09-14click：0
As early as 2016, we heard that Amsterdam was considering deploying autonomous ships to fully improve the efficiency of transporting people and goods in the local rich waterways. These so-called Roboats have been redesigned several times since. What this article is going to introduce to you is a full-scale autonomous navigation ship built by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that is ready for operation.
Originally, this type of Roboat was conceived as a convenient public infrastructure solution, and early versions also considered applications for extending coastlines and even floating platforms for pontoons. The ships then became smarter and more agile, and in 2019 were able to dock together to form different arrangements.
Last year, Roboat developers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and the Amsterdam Advanced Urban Solutions Institute (AMS Institute) demonstrated a 2-meter-long (6.5 ft.) half-scale version.
Thanks to cutting-edge navigation technology, it was fully demonstrated during the three-hour round trip along the canal without any incident.
Now, the MIT team has come up with the 4-meter (13-foot) Roboat III, which is capable of carrying 5 passengers. The navigation system is based on last year and includes LiDAR, GPS positioning, and a set of cameras for 360° panoramic recognition.
To smoothly guide Roboat III from point A to point B, sensors collect data on obstacles and potential collisions, and then the control algorithm can issue obstacle avoidance instructions to the thrusters. Daniela Rus, professor in MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and director of CSAIL, said: "We have achieved greater accuracy and robustness in perception, navigation and control systems, and New features have been introduced such as approach mode for locking and improved dynamic positioning so that ships can navigate autonomously in real-world waters.”
It is reported that Roboat III has a highly adaptable hull and can replace the top deck as needed. Even better, Roboat's control system can also adapt to changes in the number of passengers on the boat, such as replacing the five seats with a cargo hold or changing the deck to a floating platform.
DUSP chief research scientist and project leader Fabio Duarte said that because Roboat can perform tasks 24/7 and does not require a ship,Being permanently stationed on a ship, it can bring great value to urban transportation.
The new news is that the MIT team has deployed two full-scale Roboats in Amsterdam and is now focusing on public experiments of related technologies.
(Original title: MIT team deploys first full-scale autonomous boat in Amsterdam canal)
