AUTONOMOUS TECHNOLOGY AND ELECTRIFICATION F rom the factories of the Industrial Revolution to the data centers powering cutting-edge artificial intelligence, few concepts have transformed modern society quite like automation – and transportation is next in line. Unmanned vehicles promise safer, less energy-intensive and more cost-effective transportation, and automation could become an important technology for a maritime sector that’s under growing pressure to find alternatives to fossil fuels. The experts at Norwegian ferry developer Hyke believe that, as has often been the case for roadgoing vehicles, urban areas will be an important early market for both technologies. The company’s battery-electric shuttle concept is designed to reduce on-land congestion by providing a cost-effective transit solution for inner-city waterways. It features a shallow hull to improve efficiency, standardized parts for easier mass production and a sensor suite enabling partial or full automation with the flexibility to adjust those operations after deployment. “Electrification in the maritime sector is vital for everything we do,” comments Ola Hjukse, Hyke’s chief product officer. “The combination of an electrified powerplant and flexible automation system allows you to learn the best way of using a vessel and to implement those lessons directly. You don’t have to design yourself into an operational envelope.” Both technologies are becoming more affordable. Hyke uses batteries from trucks, adapts automotive-grade sensors for marine applications, and uses the open-source Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2) software as a foundation for autonomous operation. Hjukse believes the early business case for electrification is enhanced by automating outdated and labor-intensive processes, such as docking. The shuttle has a 7kW rooftop solar array and intelligent docking system with wireless charging, which combine to extend the run time without requiring larger, heavier and more expensive batteries. “I don’t think it’s an accident that the increased level of electrification in the maritime market trails the automotive industry by a couple of years,” he says. “[With automation] we are trying to ride on the coat-tails of the automotive industry and use, as much as possible, lessons learned because the volume is so much greater. If all shipping industries [install] sensors on board the vessels, it will take years to catch up with the data that the automotive industries have already captured. We are trying to learn from that as much as possible.” Kongsberg Maritime’s SVP of remote and autonomous solutions, Pål Andrè Eriksen, “The combination of an electrified powerplant and flexible automation system allows you to learn the best way of using a vessel“ Ola Hjukse, chief product officer, Hyke Main: Hyke builds autonomous vessel control technology into its vessels, enabling development, validation and approval of autonomous operations Right: The Hyke shuttle concept has an energy consumption of 10-12kWh/hour at 6kts, a max speed of 15kts and a battery capacity that can be specified between 95kWh and 285kWh 36 // April 2024 // ElectricHybridMarineTechnology.com