Robotic ship sets off to retrace the Mayflower’s journey

Technicians lowering the Mayflower Autonomous Ship into the water at its launch site for its first outing on water since being built in Turnchapel, Plymouth south west England. IBM, which built the ship with nonprofit marine research organisation ProMare, confirmed the Mayflower Autonomous Ship began its trip early Tuesday June 15, 2021. — AP

SWANSEA, Wales: Four centuries and one year after the Mayflower departed from Plymouth, England, on a historic sea journey to America, another trailblazing vessel with the same name has set off to retrace the voyage.

This Mayflower, though, is a sleek, modern robotic ship that is carrying no human crew or passengers. It’s being piloted by sophisticated artificial intelligence technology for a trans-Atlantic crossing that could take up to three weeks, in a project aimed at revolutionising marine research.