The shipping industry is pivotal to global trade and is responsible for transporting the vast majority of goods across the world. But as global demand continues to grow and environmental policies are being put in place, there’s a lot of pressure on shipping companies to evolve in order to become more efficient. Whether you’re interested in engineering jobs in shipping or you’re passionate about ships, we’ll be talking you through the latest innovations in shipping vessel design, pushing the boundaries of engineering, technology, and sustainability.
Harnessing Advanced Technologies
There has been a shift in recent years in how vessels are designed in order to put more focus on both sustainability and efficiency. With advanced technologies becoming prominent in a wide range of industries, many engineers and shipping companies are looking to the likes of artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and automation in order to transform their vessels to meet demand and environmental requirements. Many vessel operations are integrating the likes of AI and IoT into areas like navigation, fuel efficiency, and even maintenance procedures. With the ability to better collect and analyse data in real-time as well as optimising performance and reducing environmental impact, there’s a broad range of applications for advanced technologies in improving vessel design.
Autonomous Ships
One of the more groundbreaking developments in the shipping industry is the introduction of autonomous ships. These ships are designed to operate without human intervention, leveraging sensors and AI to help reduce the risk of human error. This also helps to reduce operational costs with reductions in staffing requirements. The Yara Birkeland project is set to be pioneering this effort, with this project due to launch the world’s first fully electric and autonomous container ship. With the promise of enhanced safety and efficiency as well as the ability to significant reduce carbon footprint, autonomous ships are certainly the future of the maritime industry.
Digital Twins & Virtual Reality
Both digital twin technology and virtual reality (VR) is set to reshape how ships are both designed and maintained over time. A digital twin is a virtual replica of a physical ship. The idea behind this ‘twin’ is to simulate performance under different conditions to allow for better planning and quicker problem-solving, particularly in the event of an emergency. VR enables designers and engineers to better explore ship interiors and systems virtually, helping to improve design accuracy and efficiency with thorough testing before actual construction even begins.
The Future Of Ship Design
The trend in vessel design is clear – smarter, cleaner, and more autonomous; that is the maritime industry of the future. As digital tools and technology continue to get more sophisticated, the industry, and particularly the big shipping giants, will continue to innovate aggressively. The future may even look like vessels that are completely powered by renewable energy or fully unmanned ships that charter across the oceans and around the globe with more efficiency and reduced costs. With a focus on green energy, more efficient fuelling, the ability to better problem-solve using virtual technologies and harnessing AI and IoT, there are plenty of opportunities for shipping vessel design to continue to grow over time.
