Topic: Ships without crews?

[Libertas]

http://www.thelocal.no/20140911/crewless-ships-set-for-the-seas

Sure.  But just because you can, should you?

Anyway, depressing trend if you ask this old squid...

[AlanS]

Unmanned vessels can also save on fuel consumption and reduce harmul emissions as their speeds can be reduced. Fuel is the single highest operational cost in the merchant shipping industry.

In business, time is money. Why would you slow down?

[Libertas]

Unmanned vessels can also save on fuel consumption and reduce harmul emissions as their speeds can be reduced. Fuel is the single highest operational cost in the merchant shipping industry.

In business, time is money. Why would you slow down?

Because the enviroment is more important than profits and customers!!!

That business will last long...

/

 

[Weisshaupt]

Its like that video I posted -- if transportation becomes automated - and there are a lot of drivers for why it will and should be,  its going to kill 20%  of the work force right there.  The invention of the automobile put the buggy whip manufacturer out of business, but not the guy who used to hold the whip.  The robots are going to put massive of numbers of people out of work. . Of course it will probably make a lot of goods cheaper - transportation is a large part of the cost of anything now.

 I bet job sharing becomes more commonplace - especially since Obamacare is driving that anyway. Lots of part time work with no benefits,  and no full time jobs.  Better learn to survive on half your current income..

[Libertas]

Part of the "Idiocracy" brilliance was having automation, more time for idiots to breed and drain more resources...

If not for the automation the humans would have died out...many will anyway, but not as many had nothing been in place to sustain them for any length of time...

[Glock32]

What will happen if it's unable to properly avoid obstacles?  What if it loses one of its systems (propulsion, steering, etc) in high seas.  I guess a crewless ship won't be engaging in maritime rescue either.  Can you imagine being stranded at sea, only to have a giant ship go right by?

[Libertas]

That's where insurance comes into play.

 

And when that gets too pricey...like after one event...the insurance will be your taxpayers.

Same as it ever is...

[warpmine]

I'm awaiting the multitronics unit 5 as in M-5 to come into fruition. It worked so well in Star Trek TOS episode "The Ultimate Computer" 'cause it worked so well in the future.

[AlanS]

I'd like to see the ship dock itself.

[Libertas]

You mean you want to see it ram the pier?

 

[Predator Don]

If I'm a pirate I'm liking this.......It may embark loaded with goods, what's the chance it reaches it's destination with all its goods??

[Libertas]

If I'm a pirate I'm liking this.......It may embark loaded with goods, what's the chance it reaches it's destination with all its goods??

But then they have no humans to ask ransom for?

Perhaps the builders need to incorporate some anti-human devices should they be boarded in transit...it should be pretty easy, it's not like they have to worry about harming innocents!