World's first self-driving urban ferry goes into operation

Sweden's self-driving electric ferry MF Estelle began running on June 8, making Stockholm the first city in the world to use the technology.

World's first self-driving urban ferry goes into operation

Self-driving electric ferry goes into operation in Stockholm, Sweden. Video : AFP

From June 12, the ferry will carry passengers on short routes, a few hundred meters, between islands in Stockholm, according to AFP . A captain will supervise the MF Estelle but will not need to touch the controls on the ferry.

The goal is to eventually make the MF Estelle “fully autonomous” without a human overseer on board, according to Stein Andre Herigstad-Olsen, CEO of Norwegian shipping company Torghatten. Herigstad-Olsen said the system is now able to “watch like a captain.”

MF Estelle is equipped with radar, cameras, sonar and lidar systems, which can synthesize data to control its course, according to Erik Nilsson, operations director at Torghatten. “If a boat changes direction or a canoe appears, we see it in less than a second. We update the course accordingly,” he added.

The MF Estelle is 10 meters long, cost $1.6 million and can carry 30 passengers, with each ticket costing about $3. The ferry is expected to encourage Swedes to walk or cycle to work instead of using their cars. It also demonstrates autonomous technology, paving the way for more sustainable and efficient maritime transport in the future.

Torghatten wants to increase the number of ferries in Stockholm and other areas. The ferry is a public-private partnership, partly funded by the EU.

Thu Thao (According to AFP )

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