AI Captain! Autonomous sailing conquers new sectors

It began with a dream of a group of ocean enthusiasts. Promare, an American foundation, wondered: how can we better understand the ocean? The resulting Mayflower project immediately received full support from IBM. Jan-Willem Sieben, CTO Defense & Intelligence at that company and an avid ocean sailor, became involved almost as a matter of course. At the first National Autonomous Systems Conference, recently held in Drachten, he spoke enthusiastically about the importance of the Mayflower research for our knowledge of ocean life: “We seem to know more about the moon than the ocean, even though it is just as important for life on earth.”

The Mayflower project was an unmanned, autonomous ship that crossed the Atlantic Ocean independently in 2022. It had no crew and no continuous connection to shore, but it was packed with sensors and AI technology. The result? This technological milestone has left its mark in sectors far beyond the maritime world.

AI there, captain!

The core of the project is the so-called AI Captain. “I thought that was a great catchphrase,” says Sieben, slowly pronouncing the words again. “Aye aye, captain! It is software that makes decisions independently, based on data from sensors on board.” These sensors – ranging from radar to infrared cameras – continuously register what is happening around the ship. This is crucial, because “sailing is not just about observation, but also about decision-making.”

The AI Captain had to be trained like a real captain: visual recognition of buoys and shipping traffic, application of maritime traffic rules and constant anticipation of weather changes. “Circumventing storms can mean the difference between success and failure for a small trimaran.”

Jan-Willem Sieben

Completely on the edge

A large part of the intelligence is in the so-called edge – the 'edge' of the network. Sieben: “The Mayflower also had to be able to function without a data connection to shore. That happens on board, with a small, energy-efficient computer. And it had to, because solar energy is not available in unlimited quantities in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.”

Nevertheless, those interested were able to follow the mission up close. “You could use an app to see exactly where the ship was, what it saw and what choices it made. It almost felt like you were along for the ride.”

The real power of the Mayflower is evident in the spinoffs. One of these is scientific research. “There were 700 to 1000 kilos of sensors on board,” says Sieben. “From salt and mineral sensors to microphones that record whale song.” The collected data is linked to satellite data, allowing researchers to create better models of oceanic subsidence and climate change, for example.

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Challenger 2025

The next step has already been set in motion: the Challenger 2025 project. “In this project, we are going even further. We invite scientists to submit their experiments, which will then be carried out by the Mayflower, completely autonomously.” For this purpose, the ship will sail the world's oceans for several years.

The Ministry of Defense is also interested in the technology. “Autonomous vessels can be used for gathering intelligence, guarding sea areas, and even detecting and removing sea mines,” says Sieben. “The Royal Netherlands Navy is already doing this with underwater drones and small surface vessels.”

According to Sieben, IBM is not involved in military weapon systems applications. Nevertheless, the knowledge gained from the Mayflower project is certainly being used for broader defense innovations, particularly in AI-supported decision-making.

From niche to standard

According to Sieben, the project's impact is more significant than the ship's. “We have proven that AI on board a vessel is possible, useful, and safe. This technology is already being used as an assistant for ship captains – and that is just the beginning.”

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