AI, captain! First autonomous ship prepares for maiden voyage

The Mayflower 400 autonomous trimaran pictured during a sea trial in Plymouth, south west England. The 50-foot (15-metre) trimaran, which weighs 9 tons and navigates with complete autonomy, is preparing for a trans-Atlantic voyage. — AFP

PLYMOUTH, United Kingdom: The “Mayflower 400” – the world’s first intelligent ship – bobs gently in a light swell as it stops its engines in Plymouth Sound, off England’s southwest coast, before self-activating a hydrophone designed to listen to whales.

The 50-foot (15-metre) trimaran, which weighs nine tonnes and navigates with complete autonomy, is preparing for a transatlantic voyage.