Supervised speed automation: a practical next step in efficiency

If advisory tools have taken the industry as far as they can, what comes next? This insight introduces supervised speed automation as a pragmatic next step, one that keeps the crew as the final decision-maker while shifting repetitive propulsion adjustments to a system that can sustain them across long voyages.

Even when voyage planning and optimisation tools are considered modern and effective, data environments are improving, and operators have access to a range of systems, there remains an execution gap between optimisation plans and real-world operations.

Many in the maritime industry already have tools and insights to optimise a large part of vessel operations. The challenge now is ensuring those recommendations are applied consistently throughout a voyage.

As optimisation systems improve, the remaining efficiency gains depend less on further model development and more on how well the crew implements recommendations. If advisory systems cannot guarantee consistent guidance, operators need to assess how to close the gap between optimisation insights and operational performance.

In terms of propulsion management tools, supervised automation involves systems which automatically adjust propulsion settings to maintain speed targets or meet arrival times. The crew defines operating limits, monitors system behaviour, and can intervene or disengage the system whenever necessary.

The introduction of automation, particularly in propulsion management, is one possible approach. Rather than replacing the human in the decision-making process, this approach allows crews to follow suggestions more consistently whilst remaining the final decision maker.

Automated systems are better suited to repetitive adjustments that require continuous monitoring and limited decision-making, such as speed-control tools.

Automated propulsion control systems are already widely used across the maritime industry. Modern automation systems manage propulsion equipment, monitor engine performance, and coordinate machinery operations.

Integrated platforms like Nabtesco’s Telegraph Agent allow users to control propulsion and auxiliary systems, underlining how core operational functions are already automated while remaining under crew supervision.

However, these systems are mostly designed for control and execution, rather than optimisation. They rely on crew members entering updated targets rather than routinely turning optimisation insights into real-time adjustments. They are the foundation rather than a complete solution for maintaining optimal speed and performance profiles throughout a voyage.

The potential of supervised speed automation lies in extending these existing capabilities rather than in being a completely new concept.

Some automation tools, like DeepSea Technologies’ Hyperpilot, are designed to work alongside existing propulsion control systems, rather than replace them.

From an operational perspective, automation can be viewed as a means to reduce crew workload and improve data-handling reliability. “If everything is manual, it takes a lot of time and manpower; with automated systems, it is more reliable and much easier,” stressed Mohammed Rasi Areechola, Energy Management & Efficiency Officer at Zodiac Maritime.

Read all about supervised speed automation in our latest report here.