We already know about drones that are slowly taking over the skies with both military and commercial versions that are getting more common by the day. Rolls-Royce is planning to unveil drones for the seas with crewless cargo ships that will travel the world without a single human on board.
The $375 billion dollar shipping industry that is responsible for carrying 90 percent of the world’s trade could be revolutionized with the company’s virtual deck being developed in Norway. These ships would allow captains to remotely command ships anywhere on the planet while being safer, cheaper and more environmentally friendly.
Rolls-Royce has already started designing the giant drones for the sea which will carry cargo from one end of the planet to the other. The cameras on the ships would provide 360-degree view of the ship’s surroundings which will be fed to the operators in the virtual bridge VR system in Norway. These operators will then be able to remotely steer the vessels to their destinations.
With talks about regulatory obstacles and potential perceived hurdles already underway, Roll-Royce seems optimistic about their new approach to one of the world’s oldest industry. They hope to have the ships out in 10 years time and have already begun to fit current cargo ships with the advanced cameras.
