Crewless 'drone ships' will be sailing the seas by 2020

[Recursion]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/04/09/crewless-drone-ships-will-be-sailing-the-seas-by-2020/

Remote-controlled “drone ships” will be plying the sealanes without crews on board by the end of the decade, according to Rolls-Royce.

The FTSE 100 company best known for its aircraft engines is heading a consortium working to develop the technology needed for ships controlled from land bases, making them cheaper to run.

“This is happening. It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when,” said Oskar Levander, head of innovation for Rolls’s marine unit. “We will see a remote controlled ship in commercial use by the end of the decade.”

He predicted the system could turn ships into a seaborne version of car service Uber, with the potential to radically change the current shipping sector.

The US Navy already has some drone minesweepers in sea trials.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

1. Without a crew, who will scrape and paint the rusty bits?

Who will poke around the engine room to keep it all running?

In a sense, the US Navy has had drones for a long time: Torpedos.

[edgineered]

6. It must be April Fools month...

These refitted ships will also have self patching pipes, electrical systems that don't fry, and anti-DIW devices. But the biggest advantage is that without a crew they won't need windows or portholes, thus eliminating the risks of sparking glass.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Yeah, seems to me you'd still people for electrical and mechanical repair work

They might be able to do the navigation and everyday running remotely, but if something happens to the comms links, or the engines, they'd be stuffed. They might get away with a smaller crew because they wouldn't need to cover 24 hours in shifts. From the article:

It is predicted that crews stationed around the world will be ready to be transferred by helicopter to drone ships which encounter problems or run into trouble they cannot handle themselves.

Well, that might work if they're positioned everywhere, but you'd have to think of the reaction time needed for ships far out at sea.

[edgineered]

9. Those born into this high tech world find it inconceivable

that a sensor or servo will fail. As long as the idiot light or check engine icon comes on what could possibly go wrong? Hell, Benjamin Franklin could see this coming with his quote:
“For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For the want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For the want of a horse the rider was lost,
For the want of a rider the battle was lost,
For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe-nail.”

[Android3.14]

2. More lost jobs to technology

We have to prepare for a culture where jobs are no longer the source of income. WE'll see robot trucking and taxis within a couple more years, which will decimate the job market for males, and then everyone else.

[-none]

4. And with everyone out of a job, who will buy the goods and services?

Someone is not thinking this through very well.

[SammyWinstonJack]

11. Short term profits.....seems that's all that matters in the WORLD of THE GREEDY.

[daleo]

3. Pirates might like this

Mind you, with no crew to threaten, a fast drone ship might just be invulnerable to piracy.

[mercuryblues]

10. you won't need actual

pirates, just a good hacker. Poof, the ship comes to you.

[daleo]

18. A different kind of pirate, then

The kind who says to the parrot, "Polymath want a cracker".

[NightWatcher]

5. Yeah cause ships never need repair while underway...

I also don't see the unions being thrilled with this.

[dembotoz]

7. so poor wilson and tom hanks are screwed

[Rex]

12. No doubt it will work better then Google cars.

[Recursion]

13. Those are working better than human drivers, so that would be awesome (nt)

[Rex]

17. Except when they cannot recognize the road due to it being in bad shape. Which is everywhere.

Which is kinda huge if you want a car to drive itself, but go on with your pretending to know bad self!

[Kaleva]

14. At least in the Navy, the most expensive item to maintain on a ship is the crew.

[Recursion]

15. And obviously for minesweepers it makes extra sense (nt)

[Kaleva]

16. And the drone ship might be cheaper to build in the first place.

You wouldn't need all the spaces and equipment that a ship with a crew would require. It's amazing the advances in ship technology that has taken place since I served on an old Adams class DDG a few decades ago to what is coming in the next few years.