Engineering news
Rolls-Royce has formed a strategic partnership with Finland’s VTT Technical Research Centre to design, test and validate the first generation of remote and autonomous ships.
Rolls-Royce is pioneering the development of remote controlled and autonomous ships and believes they will be in commercial use by the end of the decade.
VTT has knowledge of ship simulation and expertise in the development and management of safety-critical and complex systems in demanding environments such as nuclear safety. It combines physical tests such as model and tank testing, with digital technologies, such as data analytics and computer visualisation. It will also use field research to incorporate human factors into safe ship design.
Working with VTT will enable Rolls-Royce to assess the performance of remote and autonomous designs through the use of both traditional model tank tests and digital simulation, allowing the company to develop functional, safe and reliable prototypes.
Karno Tenovuo, vice-president of Rolls-Royce ship intelligence, said: “Remotely operated ships are a key development project for Rolls-Royce Marine, and VTT is a reliable and innovative partner for the development of a smart ship concept. This collaboration is a natural continuation of the earlier User Experience for Complex systems project, where we developed totally new bridge and remote control systems for shipping.”
Erja Turunen, executive vice-president at VTT, said: “Our collaboration strengthens the way we can integrate and leverage VTT’s expertise in simulation and safety validation, including the industrial Internet of Things, to develop new products and in the future, enable us to develop new solutions for new areas of application as well.”
This comes after Rolls-Royce revealed its plans for a smart technology control centre for autonomous ships earlier this year, with the aim to increase energy and cost efficiency, as well as safety.