An Analysis of the Impact of Autonomous Ships in Coastal Canada

While the shipping industry is fairly conservative, recent advances in autonomous cars and airplanes have forced it to consider the potential of autonomous ships. The first autonomous ship is currently being built and a... [ view full abstract ]

While the shipping industry is fairly conservative, recent advances in autonomous cars and airplanes have forced it to consider the potential of autonomous ships. The first autonomous ship is currently being built and a company devoted to the design, construction and operation of autonomous commercial ships was formed in April of 2018.  Consequently autonomous ships are becoming a reality.

Due to operational limitations and regulatory restrictions, the first autonomous routes are going to develop in territorial waters.  Consequently it is important to begin to understand how autonomous ships will impact shipping in this area.

This paper will look at the problem from a historical perspective.  For most ship-based accidents Transport Canada produces a report and these reports form a record of problems, fatalities and issues that can be examined.  By examining these reports, we can develop a methodology to assess the impact of the autonomous ship based on how an autonomous ship would behave in similar circumstances.  This paper will present the methodology for assessing the impact and then apply this methodology to the coastal zone of eastern Canada using the Transport Canada accident reports.  This assessment will create the first examination of the impact of autonomous ships in the local coastal zone.