3D printed driverless boats might move people and goods around cities in future
A fleet of autonomous vessels has been designed by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Driverless boats could be used in the future to transport people and goods around major cities to help cut congestion.
Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have designed 3D printed autonomous boats which are also fitted with environmental sensors to monitor a city’s water.
They have been created at the university’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). Proposed future uses include transport, docking and self-assembling into platforms such as concert stages and spaces for market stalls.
In future, the researchers hope the driverless boats will be adapted to perform city services overnight, reducing congestion on roads and canals.
First tested in 2016, the latest incarnation has new innovations – a more agile design, improved control and more precise algorithms.
CSAIL director Daniela Rus said: “Imagine shifting some of the infrastructure services that usually take place during the day on the road – deliveries, garbage management, waste management – to the middle of the night, on the water, using a fleet of autonomous boats.
“Some of the activities that are usually taking place on land, and that cause disturbance in how the city moves, can be done on a temporary basis on the water.”
The team is now looking at how to account for wave disturbances and stronger currents.
