TransportationDriverless ferries to replace footbridges

By Unni Skoglund

Published 29 June 2018

As towns grow, the need arises for more river and canal crossings. But bridges are expensive and hinder the flow of boat traffic. An autonomous and self-propelled passenger ferry that can “see” kayakers and boats, and that shows up right when you need it, could be an ingenious substitute for footbridges. Soon the prototype for the world’s first driverless electric passenger ferry will be ready to launch in Trondheim, Norway.

Soon the prototype for the world’s first driverless electric passenger ferry will be ready to launch in Trondheim.

As towns grow, the need arises for more river and canal crossings. But bridges are expensive and hinder the flow of boat traffic.

An autonomous and self-propelled passenger ferry that can “see” kayakers and boats, and that shows up right when you need it, could be an ingenious substitute for footbridges.

NTNU’s Departments of Electronic Systems, Engineering Cybernetics and Marine Engineering have borne the main responsibility for the Autoferry project so far. They built and have been testing a prototype of a driverless electric ferry.

Now they plan to refine the ferry’s anti-collision properties and teach it situational awareness.

Improving quality of life for city residents
NTNU has been working with autonomous vessel management systems for years, but training a computer to predict movements and to read complex traffic scenarios at this level of detail is a new development.

“This is a high-technology twist to creating connections across the water. We believe emission-free ferries can help improve urban residents’ quality of life,” says Egil Eide. He is an associate professor at NTNU’s Department of Electronic Systems and in charge of operations for the driverless electric passenger ferry.

“Driverless ferries can help develop regions that previously haven’t been linked to cities and towns due to a lack of infrastructure, for example,” says Eide.

The plan has the first autonomous electric ferry crossing the Trondheim channel between Ravnkloa and Vestre Kanalhavn. The distance is just under 100 meters, and the crossing takes a mere one minute but will save pedestrians a 10-15 minute walk.

The ferry prototype has been tested in the channel with good results.

The proposed full-scale ferry will be able to take at least 12 passengers, plus bicycles and baby strollers. It will charge its batteries while docking as passengers disembark and board the craft.