ABS has awarded Approval in Principle (AIP) to technology in an autonomous tug project from ST Engineering, POSH and M1.

The Smart Maritime Autonomous Vessel (SMAV) project saw successful sea trials carried out in 2020 and has now received ABS AIP for its autonomous navigation and collision detection and collision avoidance (CDCA) technology.

The POSH Harvest harbour tug was retrofitted with autonomous navigation and CDCA functions. These functions were remotely monitored from a shoreside control centre located in the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s Maritime Innovation Lab via cellular networks.

“Autonomous technology has significant potential for widespread application at sea and ABS is committed to supporting its safe introduction to the industry. That’s why we are proud to support the SMAV project and work with industry leaders all over the world on the development of this technology,” said Patrick Ryan, ABS senior vice president, global engineering and technology.

The SMAV project was one of a series of initiatives to inform the development of the recently published ABS Guide for Autonomous and Remote Control Functions, which introduced the AUTONOMOUS notation and another recognising remote control functions.