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OAK ISSUE - n° 16 - 2018 - € 10 www.theoney d.com
The Art of Sailing CRN Latona 50m
QUART ERLY - P.I. 28/10 /2018 Intern ationa l € 10, Poste Italiane S.p.a. Chf 10,50 , UK £ 7,50 Spedizione in Abbon Postale - 70% amento LO/MI
[ TECHNOLOGY ]
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REVOLUTION IN THE OFFING? Ships are now included among the many types of self-piloting transport in the news today. The first trials involve cargo vessels, but the step towards superyachts could be a very short one
by Paola Bertelli
T
he future is already here. Self-driving cars are no longer a novelty and the system is already being talked about for shipping. In fact, the first
examples are even now under sail. In June, during the “ITS Tugnology” held in Marseille, the Rosetti Marino Group presented the harbour tug Giano, equipped with a remote control system. During the convention, the Giano’s skipper Carsten Nygaard used a “remote bridge” to control the ship from the podium. This technology makes distance irrelevant - the commands are sent to shore by the captain, who remains on board. This makes it possible to set a route and take the yacht to its final destination, monitoring its progress via a video system and night-vision cameras.
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[ TECHNOLOGY ] REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM, HOW IT WORKS
The Remote Control System is an M2M (machine-to-machine)
to sail the Giano from a distance wherever the vessel may be by
Internet connection through two encrypted tunnels, fulfilling
controlling the video system, navigational parameters, propulsion
cyber security requirements with a direct yacht-remote bridge
and automation.
connection without using third-party servers, making it possible
If, as seems increasingly plausible, some uncrewed commercial
Two concepts from Rosetti Superyacht, the 48-metre yacht by Tommaso Spadolini (top) and the 52-metre (left) by Phi Design Lab’s Giovanni Griggio. The brand is part of the Rosetti Marino group, which has introduced its Remote Control System on the tug Giano (opening). This technology could easily be transferred to yachts
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vessels could be operating before the end of the decade, the logical
absent. The same applies to personnel who are expert in remote
conclusion is that superyachts could also soon be following suit.
systems,” says Dodich. “The advantage lies in cutting costs, by
This is where Rosetti Superyachts enters the picture, as part of the
reducing crew numbers and insurance premiums during sailing –
group that’s playing a pioneering role in this sector, the Rosetti
this system means it’s all monitored from land and at sea. It could
Marino Group. “What drives Rosetti Superyachts is to be remain on
also offer owners the pleasure of controlling their yacht remotely”.
the cutting edge”, says Fulvio Dodich, CEO of Rosetti Superyachts.
At the moment the crucial factor behind promoting this technology
“Our mission is to improve what may seem impossible to make
is to sort out the legislation. Last year the IMO (International
better, so the objective is always extremely challenging. We have
Maritime Organisation) launched an analysis of the impact of self-
to look at what the future can offer and make it available here
piloting yachts. The extent of the regulatory changes will depend
and now”. Compared to self-driving cars the two systems have a
on the level of independence permitted - Lloyd’s Register, for
common origin but different development paths. The two modes
example, has already published a classification outlining six levels of
of transport and the context in which they operate are equally
independence. Maritime law is one of the world’s oldest systems, and
different. The Remote Control System complements traditional
has been successfully adapted to reflect the changeover from sail to
control techniques rather than replacing the crew. It leads to greater
steam and beyond. There’s no doubt that in the near future it will
safety and increases operational flexibility. “The on-board presence
also adapt to remote control yachts.
of captains when sailing can be reduced, but they won’t be entirely
www.rosettisuperyachts.it
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