NEW ON BOARD
AKER ARCTIC DEMONSTRATES
AUTONOMOUS VESSEL
IN MODEL TEST
A
n autonomous ship model has been successfully tested in systems and components. The technology used in the autono-
Aker Arctic’s ice model test laboratory in Helsinki, Finland. In mous ship model tests in the laboratory is also adaptable to semi
the demonstration test the ship model was able to detect obsta-
cles in the ice tank utilizing onboard sensors, maneuver around
them without operator input and moor itself automatically to a
and full-scale prototypes.
With this technology Aker Arctic is ready for the next step
in the development of autonomous ships. Q
target pier. The test was carried out in ice free waters.
The wireless model used in the test is equipped with battery
powered propulsion units, data transfer to the “shore facility”, and Aker Arctic Technology Inc is an independent arctic R&D, engi-
an autonomous navigation system that routes the vessel around neering and consulting company. The company holds the world’s
obstacles detected by the onboard sensors. The various compo- largest portfolio of icebreaking ship designs and has a long track
nents are connected using Distributed Intelligent Vessel Compo- record of involvement in projects wherever freezing waters are
nents (DIVEC™), a specially developed network framework that found. The most advanced and innovative ship designs, such as
provides a modern protocol for connecting devices and transfer- the double-acting and oblique ship concepts, originate from Aker
ring necessary data between them. Arctic.
While Aker Arctic’s ice laboratory is normally used to test
icebreaking vessels, it is also an excellent facility to develop and
test the technology, sensors, algorithms and propulsion control More information:
systems being developed for autonomous vessels under harsh Reko-Antti Suojanen, Managing Director, [email protected]
environmental conditions. DIVEC™ provides an extensible and
adaptable infrastructure that allows interfacing with third party
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www.akerarctic.fi