Autonomous ships are still rare at sea. The e-Maritime Integrated Reference Platform (eMIR) is helping to change this by creating a safe space to test and certify new technologies. This could have positive implications for all activities involving waterways in the transport Corridors.
eMIR is a large-scale testbed in the German Bight, from the Outer Elbe to Brunsbüttel and the seaports of Cuxhaven, Wilhelmshaven and Emden. It combines a virtual world of simulators and traffic models with a physical network of sensors, control centres and research vessels.
Because international rules for autonomous shipping are not yet in place, eMIR uses special permits and national case-by-case approvals, often in port areas, to run real-world experiments. The results feed into safety and performance standards and into recommendations for future certification procedures.
Public authorities such as port administrations and the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency are closely involved. They support testing and help transfer successful solutions from the laboratory into everyday maritime operations
Source(in German):