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> Boats have had a higher level of autonomy than cars for a while. This is really a mixed bag - some categories of vessels have had more advanced navigation sy

> Boats have had a higher level of autonomy than cars for a while. This is really a mixed bag - some categories of vessels have had more advanced navigation systems for decades, but on the the other hand a family minivan is about two decades ahead of a bowrider that goes for about same price when it comes to autonomy. More directly addressing the article - marine autonomy is an easier problem technically, but there is a significant market problem. Aside from water taxis, there is not the same compelling economic case for autonomous small boats as there is for commuter cars. Disclaimer: I work on ADAS systems for recreational boats.

throwaway0a5e 5y ago
The difference between a 50k 4Runner and a 50k boat is that while both are status symbols to show off you don't expect to be minimally engaged while operating the boat. Driving it is part of the fun.
newman8r 5y ago
40% of the world's populations lives within 100km of a coastline [1] I could see some applications when combining autonomous small boats with multicopters, to manage last mile delivery along the coastlines and various rivers or lakes. [1] https://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/natlinfo/indicators/methodology_sheets/oceans_seas_coasts/pop_coastal_areas.pdf https://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/natlinfo/indicators/methodolo...