Mar 11, 2026 04:52 PM
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1119638
INTRO: A number of autonomous ferries will be deployed on Norwegian routes, the first as early as this autumn. They are intended to be operated with minimal human intervention. At the same time, captains and mates on Norwegian ships are concerned about the technical safety of autonomous ships.
"Seafarers feel strongly that people should continue to work on board, maintaining oversight and control so that unforeseen events can be managed properly,” said PhD research fellow Asbjørn Lein Aalberg.
He is conducting research on seafarers' trust in autonomous vessels at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU's) Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management. In a new study, he and Professor Trond Kongsvik identified 12 topics, or challenges, related to the safety of autonomous ships.
The study is based on open-ended responses from a total of 1,009 captains and mates on Norwegian ships. This makes it the largest of its kind in the world. The answers they received concerned everything from how to handle emergencies to concern for seafarers' competence and awareness:
"In waves of over 4 metres, I do not want to encounter an autonomous ship that does not use the 'bad weather route' like we do," says one. "Crews are becoming lazy because they expect an alarm on absolutely everything," says another.
If their concerns are taken seriously, it may be safer to let computers take over more tasks on board, the researchers believe. The table below lists their concerns and needs - and what the seafarers themselves say about them.
[...] A large proportion of the responses relate to concerns about the technology. However, the researcher was surprised that many seafarers are most concerned about losing their own skills – that they might become mentally ‘lazy’ from ‘just sitting there’ and become overly reliant on the technology.
Aalberg likens it to how we have become accustomed to driving a car with GPS and automatic gears. That means it won't be easy to suddenly have to navigate with a map and shift gears manually. If a ferry is to operate autonomously all the time, the captain loses his or her intuition. Everything from mastering critical events to manoeuvering in bad weather.
[...] Aalberg says it now appears that parts of the industry are pushing hard for technology to fix everything. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration, for example, has stipulated that new autonomous ferries set to operate on the Lavik–Oppedal crossing from autumn 2026 be run with minimal human intervention.
The fact that seafarers' expertise doesn't carry the same amount of weight may possibly explain some of their scepticism, he believes....(MORE - missing details, no ads)
INTRO: A number of autonomous ferries will be deployed on Norwegian routes, the first as early as this autumn. They are intended to be operated with minimal human intervention. At the same time, captains and mates on Norwegian ships are concerned about the technical safety of autonomous ships.
"Seafarers feel strongly that people should continue to work on board, maintaining oversight and control so that unforeseen events can be managed properly,” said PhD research fellow Asbjørn Lein Aalberg.
He is conducting research on seafarers' trust in autonomous vessels at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU's) Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management. In a new study, he and Professor Trond Kongsvik identified 12 topics, or challenges, related to the safety of autonomous ships.
The study is based on open-ended responses from a total of 1,009 captains and mates on Norwegian ships. This makes it the largest of its kind in the world. The answers they received concerned everything from how to handle emergencies to concern for seafarers' competence and awareness:
"In waves of over 4 metres, I do not want to encounter an autonomous ship that does not use the 'bad weather route' like we do," says one. "Crews are becoming lazy because they expect an alarm on absolutely everything," says another.
If their concerns are taken seriously, it may be safer to let computers take over more tasks on board, the researchers believe. The table below lists their concerns and needs - and what the seafarers themselves say about them.
[...] A large proportion of the responses relate to concerns about the technology. However, the researcher was surprised that many seafarers are most concerned about losing their own skills – that they might become mentally ‘lazy’ from ‘just sitting there’ and become overly reliant on the technology.
Aalberg likens it to how we have become accustomed to driving a car with GPS and automatic gears. That means it won't be easy to suddenly have to navigate with a map and shift gears manually. If a ferry is to operate autonomously all the time, the captain loses his or her intuition. Everything from mastering critical events to manoeuvering in bad weather.
[...] Aalberg says it now appears that parts of the industry are pushing hard for technology to fix everything. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration, for example, has stipulated that new autonomous ferries set to operate on the Lavik–Oppedal crossing from autumn 2026 be run with minimal human intervention.
The fact that seafarers' expertise doesn't carry the same amount of weight may possibly explain some of their scepticism, he believes....(MORE - missing details, no ads)