OMASTRAND, NORWAY — A Norwegian shipyard is planning to build the world’s first autonomous ship for commercial use, Hrönn. <br /> <br /> <br />As an unmanned vessel, Hrönn will be remotely controlled, keeping humans away from potential dangers at sea. Hrönn could be sent out on a variety of different missions, such as hydrographic surveying and open-water fish farm support. <br /> <br /> <br />The ship will also be used to transport light intermodal cargo, and make deliveries to offshore installations. When acting as a standby vessel, Hrönn will be able to provide firefighting support to offshore platforms when needed. <br /> <br /> <br />Construction of Hrönn is scheduled to begin in January 2017. It will then be put through sea trials, with plans to be available for field operations in 2018.
