“Autonomous systems will be necessary for the ongoing maintenance of offshore industries such as wind farms as they mitigate risk to humans from the somewhat exciting but dangerous environment offshore. Autonomous systems have the potential to improve the availability of information from offshore assets significantly, but they need to be trusted to do the job safely. This means showing that they are safe and reliable. Otherwise, there is more downside than upside to their use.
The regulatory space is focused on safety, and the still developing technologies must inform this. If regulation is pre-emptive, then it may stifle innovation. The sea surface domain is regulated mainly under international agreements focused on the International Maritime Organisation, with national bodies then drafting their interpretations as needed.
Nick Tudor, CEO at D-RisQ Ltd., will provide an international perspective on the current status of autonomous systems and a potential way ahead for international certification.”