Press

Falco, a ferry which has been transformed into a self-driving vessel, made its way through choppy seas of the Turku Archipelago and navigated itself from the island of Pargas to Nagu with no problems during a demonstration run earlier this month. The windy conditions did not seem to affect the vessel's steering systems, which took care of everything from dock to dock. Also aboard were representatives from Finferries and Rolls-Royce, the two firms that developed the tech enabling the futuristically-equipped ferry able to operate by itself. Finnish law still doesn't permit remotely-controlled or autonomous ferries to be used, apart from testing them on the Pargas-Nagu route. However, there is significant interest in autonomous technology within the shipping industry. Many companies in Finland, including marine equipment firm Wärtsilä, are eager to bring autonomous technology to the sector. - Yle -