b'range and bearing of each object and will alert the operator to possible obstacles, allowing the crew to make decisions with a more extensive amount of information and with time to react. The system also has video recording capabilities that can be used for training or forensic purposes. With the ability to detect, classify, and geolocate such targets via optical sensors, AI-ris augments and surpasses the capabilities of existing ma-rine sensor technologies, like radar and automatic identification system (AIS), said Sea Machines CTO Trevor Vieweg. According to Sea Machines, the AI-ris systems is already in use, installed on a vessel operated by PVA member Boston Harbor City Cruises which is part of City Experiences by Hornblower.The team at Sea Machines also collaborated with PVA member Hamil-tonJet on a separate project utilizing autonomous technology. In 2021, they introduced JETsense, which they call an intelligent voyage control product. The system features autonomous navigation, multi-sensor fu-sion, and computer vision. The companies describe it as more than an autopilot system as it utilizes AI to recognize its surroundings, maintain control of steering and speed, and possibly re-route the vessel. JETsense will alert the operator of potential conflicts such as traffic or obstacles, and if no action is taken, the system can take control of the ship to avoid a dangerous situation. Autonomous control can also be used for the en-tire length of planned routes.The constant monitoring by autonomous systems like these help oper-ators avoid issues arising from human fatigue or distraction. This is sig-nificant as many incidents on the water have been traced back to human error. There have been cases of collisions due to a pilot dozing off near the end of a long shift or sun glare making it impossible for small obstacles, such as kayakers, to be seen. Rather than replacing crews, this application of autonomous technology helps them perform their jobs more effective-ly and safely both for themselves and others sharing the waterways. Autonomous systems can be designed to enable computers to learn, al-lowing a system to become smarter over time. An example of this can be seen in a fully-autonomous car ferry in Japan that completed a demon-stration run at the beginning of this year. The ferry first went into ser-vice in July 2021 with a human crew on board. Repeated trips along the seven-hour, 150 mile journey, allowed the onboard system to gather vital data about the route leading up to the January 2022 run. The un-manned trip saw the ferry travel at top speeds of 26 knots and perform docking procedures completely on its own based in part on the data from the earlier trips. The vessel was equipped with infrared cameras which could detect other ships; a remote engine monitoring system; an advanced cyber security system; and an automated berthing/unberthing system that could handle turning and reversing movements.Along with increased safety, companies see opportunities for autono-mous technology to help improve operational performance, increase ef-ficiency, and address issues such as energy consumption. In a recent Vox article, Vieweg of Sea Machineswas quoted as saying A computer can be optimizing for fuel savings and integrating a lot of different inputs PHOTO COURTESY OF SEA MACHINESaround how fast they need to be moving through the water to reach their destination on time, what the weather conditions are like, how the vessel is operating, [and] how the engines are operating. From unmanned vessels to advanced navigation systems, autonomous technology can contribute much to the maritime industry. As it contin-ues to evolve, it is expected to make jobs safer for crews and help opera-tors run more efficiently.FOGHORN 10'