Sea Machines is working on technology that allows boats to autonomously navigate along defined routes to pre-determined positions. A crew of mariners, engineers, coders and scientists is hard at work developing the technology. The company just put its second autonomous boat on the water.
Sea Machines’ vessel, a SAFE Boats Defender 250 that has been phased out by the Coast Guard, is outfitted with an autonomous control system that uses a remote user interface to command and control the boat, while giving the watercraft a degree of self-awareness that allows the boat to motor to a destination while avoiding obstacles – including other boats.
This video by CBS Boston has more:
Check out this Soundings January 2017 article for more information about other groups researching autonomous boating.
