Stunning Robotic Ship Now Crossing the Atlantic With No Crew Onboard

There’s absolutely no crew member on board the Mayflower, which is being guided by an AI “captain” that takes over all the responsibilities of a human captain. After years of development, the vessel has departed from Turnchapel Wharf, Plymouth, in the UK, on June 15, attempting to arrive at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in the U.S., in about 3 weeks.

Marine research non-profit organization Pro-Mare, together with IBM and several other industrial and academic partners, wanted to create a flexible, reliable and also cost-effective solution for gathering important data about the ocean. The result is the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS400), a completely crewless, AI-powered vessel that is capable of carrying scientific equipment, spending a long time at sea, and even making decisions about optimizing its own route.

As you would imagine, this self-navigating ship is packed with high-tech. Six AI-powered cameras, 30 sensors and IBM software (including IBM Operational Decision Manager automation software) are just some of the elements behind the Mayflower’s capabilities. It even has an “electronic tongue”, called Hypertaste, able to taste liquids and offer information about their content. This IBM innovation can distinguish real wines from fake ones, for example, but on the Mayflower, its power will be used to test the ocean water’s acidity level.

If that wasn’t impressive enough, you’ll be glad to know the pioneering vessel is also environmentally-friendly. Both its electric propulsion motors and onboard computer system are powered by solar panels and lithium ion-phosphate batteries. This way, the 5-ton autonomous ship can collect data about ocean chemistry, micro-plastics and marine mammal conservation in a sustainable and environmentally-safe way.

If you would like to see for yourself what the Mayflower is up to on its transatlantic journey, you can watch it via the mission dashboard.