World's 1st AI Captained Ship
Mayflower 400 - Truly Intelligent Ship
Captained by Artificial Intelligence
In Plymouth, England, the world's first fully autonomous, intelligent ship - the Mayflower 400 - is preparing for its first transatlantic voyage to Plymouth, MA. The Mayflower 400 commemorates the 400th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims in Plymouth, MA in 1620. The 50 foot trimara weighs nine tons and navigates completely autonomously. It is a ship without any people onboard for the ocean voyage to Massachusetts. Construction of the $1 million vessel took a year. Every component of the ship operates autonomously including the diesel generator that supplements the solar panels that cover Mayflower 400. There is a robotic rudder that steers the vessel. The journey to Plymouth will take three weeks and a great deal of scientific discovery will be generated along the way.
Smart Captain
Mayflower 400 is captained by Artificial Intelligence. The AI uses six highly advanced cameras and radar to keep the ship on track and safe. The AI has been trained to detect, recognize and collect information on marine life, including whales, during the journey. The AI has also been trained to analyze the chemical composition of the water, collect samples of microplastics and measure sea level. All of the information gathered during the journey will be released to the public for free.
Global Partnership
There is a global partnership behind this innovative journey, spearheaded by the charity Pro Mare. The partnership, which includes individuals as well as companies like IBM, helped Pro Mare to keep the price tag of building and training an AI captained, robotic ship down to $1 million. During the historic crossing to Plymouth, MA, Mayflower 400 will be remotely monitored 24/7 by the Pro Mare team, who will be ready to remotely intervene in case of any danger to the ship.
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