What supervised automation means, and why safety must come first

Supervised automation of propulsion crosses into territory that the industry has traditionally wanted to see surveyed, certified and audited. This insight looks at the safety and assurance considerations, the existing onboard systems supervised automation already builds on, and how regulatory frameworks are evolving to support its safe introduction at scale.

The first thing that often comes to mind when maritime automation is mentioned is the idea of fully autonomous vessels operating without human intervention. However, the reality is that “process automation” is a more accurate way of thinking about the next phase, rather than fully autonomous vessels.

Talk of the introduction of automation into maritime operations tends to raise questions regarding safety and operational assurance. With propulsion systems being critical to vessel operation, automated controls must meet reliability and safety standards.

Modern ship automation systems are designed with fail-safe mechanisms and layered control tools to ensure the highest levels of safety in operations. Propulsion control systems coordinate engines, propellers, and auxiliary equipment while maintaining operational stability across a wide range of conditions.

Systems like Nabtesco’s Telegraph Agent, Kongsberg’s K-Chief, and Manta Marine’s FuelOpt form part of the operational backbone of many modern vessels, helping crews control and monitor core machinery. However, these systems are primarily designed to execute instructions rather than streamline performance, with optimisation platforms such as DeepSea’s Pythia typically operating as a separate layer.

It should be noted that control systems and newer optimisation and automation tools, like dynamic speed optimisation platforms, aim to continuously adjust vessel performance in line with changing operational conditions.

Regulatory frameworks are changing to support increasing levels of digitalisation and automation within maritime operations. Automation in shipping is not a new concept, but recent advances in digitalisation, data systems, and machine learning are making its practical implementation increasingly viable.

Christos Papadopoulos, Energy and Environmental Engineer at a large global shipping company, believes that trust will play a central role in the adoption of automation, stating, “We need reliable data and reliable sensors. When the shipping community trusts the system, then automation becomes easier to implement.”

Automated control systems need reliable operational data streams to be effective, and if sensor inputs are inaccurate or unreliable, automated decisions can be unreliable as well. Improvements in onboard data infrastructure and sensor reliability are valuable for wider adoption of automated propulsion control.