Rolls-Royce touts remote-controlled cargo ship as "future of the maritime industry"
Engineering company Rolls-Royce has revealed concept designs for an autonomous ship that could be managed remotely from a control centre (+ slideshow).
A video released by the company shows possible designs for its oX control room, which includes a global wall that could show a real-time overview of global shipping traffic.
![Rolls Royce unveil autonomous cargo ship concept](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/06/rolls-royce-driverless-robot-ship-concept-remote-control-cargo-autonomous-innovation-oskar-levander-_dezeen_936_14.jpg)
Operators would be able to monitor vessels by a remote link, carry out diagnostics and deploy drones to perform further inspections.
"Autonomous shipping is the future of the maritime industry" said Mikael Makinen, president of Rolls-Royce's marine division, in a white paper published by the company. "As disruptive as the smartphone, the smart ship will revolutionise the landscape of ship design and operations."
![Rolls Royce unveil autonomous cargo ship concept](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/06/rolls-royce-driverless-robot-ship-concept-remote-control-cargo-autonomous-innovation-oskar-levander-_dezeen_936_4.jpg)
The video suggests that operators would be able to collaborate at workstations that project three-dimensional displays of a ship's mechanics, allowing engineers and technicians to fix issues remotely.
![Rolls Royce unveil autonomous cargo ship concept](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/06/rolls-royce-driverless-robot-ship-concept-remote-control-cargo-autonomous-innovation-oskar-levander-_dezeen_936_0.jpg)
Rolls-Royce's vice president of marine innovation, Oskar Levander, who unveiled the concepts at this year's Autonomous Ship Technology Symposium in Amsterdam, said the company expected to see this kind of remote-controlled ship in use by the end of the decade.
"This is happening," said Levander, "It's not if, it's when. The technologies needed to make remote and autonomous ships a reality exist."
![Rolls Royce unveil autonomous cargo ship concept](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/06/rolls-royce-driverless-robot-ship-concept-remote-control-cargo-autonomous-innovation-oskar-levander-_dezeen_936_1.jpg)
The concepts are part of the company's Advanced Autonomous Waterborne Applications (AAWA) programme, which is currently testing its sensors and controls in a variety of operating and climatic conditions in Finland.
![Rolls Royce unveil autonomous cargo ship concept](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/06/rolls-royce-driverless-robot-ship-concept-remote-control-cargo-autonomous-innovation-oskar-levander-_dezeen_936_5.jpg)
Rolls-Royce's motoring divison has also taken steps into the world of driverless cars, unveiling its first self-driving concept earlier this year. The vehicle included a built-in "red carpet" and lighting system that announces its arrival to bystanders.
A video released by Rolls-Royce showing concept designs for the autonomous ship
Other companies testing out autonomous transport include Google and Mercedes-Benz, which are both developing self-driving cars.