Captain, What Captain? New River Ship Completes 1st Autonomous Dock-to-Dock Voyage

Autonomous technology reached new heights in river cruising, when a newly delivered ship in the fleet of Switzerland-based Scylla recently sailed dock-to-dock in the Netherlands purely on autonomous mode as part of a demonstration project.

The ms Lumière undocked, sailed and docked autonomously under real-world conditions that included gale-force crosswinds.

Custom-designed to the specifications of luxury operator Tauck, the Lumière will accommodate no more than 130 guests within a deck plan featuring 22 300-sq/ ft. Tauck Suites and 34 225-sq. ft. cabins. The ship was specifically built for cruising the landscapes along France’s Rhône.

Despite the headline above, a real, live ship captain was aboard, maintaining full control and supervision — but technology did all the driving.

The demonstration combined Retina’s manoeuvring system with an autonomous lane assist (ALA) system from Shipping Technology (ST), enabling the 135-metre river cruise ship Lumière to undock, sail and dock autonomously.

David Woudenberg, Head of Product Development at ST, told Seatrade Cruise News that the project is about “giving crews smarter tools for safer and more efficient navigation.” He also said the technology reduces fuel consumption.

During the demonstration, the Retina manoeuvring system controlled both the thrusters and the engines of the vessel, operating in conjunction with ST’s ALA system. Together, these systems guided the vessel along the optimal route, automatically managing rudder and pod movements with great precision.

The demonstration using Lumière was conducted barely two weeks after the ship entered service.