Ships that drive themselves

The steady march toward the development of fully autonomous boats took a giant leap forward in late January when a Japanese car ferry completed a 149-mile voyage through the Iyonada Sea, successfully departing port, completing the crossing and docking at its final destination without human intervention.

A Japanese car ferry recently completed a near-150 mile journey all by itself, including successfully docking at its destination. Scaled-down, similar autonomous capabilities could drive an influx of new participation in boating – if boat builders are ready to embrace the technology

Subscribe to IBI Plus

Subscribe to unlock this article

Keep reading for
£1 a week

Subscribe to IBI Plus

Subscribe today for just £1 and enjoy unlimited access to
every article and story at ibinews.com and in the daily newsletter

With IBI Plus, you’ll enjoy:

+Unrestricted access to all subscriber-only content
+Explore 50,000+ archived articles and stories
+Tap into 50+ years of global boating insight
+Access exclusive market and company data to find out where your business stands
+Read sector and country reports across established and emerging markets