The Netherlands is one step closer to having self-driving ferries, as Dutch and German shipping companies prepare to start tests that will lead to self-propelled boat services on the Wadden Sea. 

The Netherlands and Germany work together with self-driving ferries

Companies in the two neighbouring countries are working together over the next three years to make a self-driven ferry service possible. The transport service would run on the Wadden Sea and would first focus on Dutch and German shipping companies which transport passengers and freight.

Several companies involved in the experiment were brought together by the Dutch technological business association FME. "First we will look at how other European initiatives are doing. Then we will collect data from practice on existing ferries, which we will use to sail a test ship," Leo van der Burg of FME told NOS. "The ultimate goal is that you can take over certain tasks from the people on the ship from the shore."

Dutch company to run tests with AI captain for self-driving ferries 

Several ferries from the Harlingen-based shipping company Rederij Doekson will take part in the first phase of the experiment. Technology will be used to collect information from the Dutch ferries. "Now a helmsman determines whether you swerve to the left or to the right and whether you sail faster or slower,” explained Van der Burg. “If you collect a lot of this information, the system can eventually make digital decisions based on that practical experience."

Moving forward once data has been collected, a small ferry with an “AI captain” will be tested from the spring of 2025. The organisations will analyse how the ship reacts in different situations and make necessary changes. "For example, it does not have to swerve for a seal, but it does for a small boat. The system has to learn to distinguish that from the data and the tests."

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