A systemic hazard analysis and management process for the concept design phase of an autonomous vessel

TLDR

Autonomous vessels are a growing focus in maritime transport, yet ensuring their safety before deployment is a major challenge due to limited operational experience. The study emphasizes the need for a systemic hazard analysis early in the design of autonomous vessels. The authors propose and apply a process that generates coherent, transparent, traceable safety input by performing an initial hazard analysis and management for two urban transport vessel concepts in Turku, Finland. Applying the process to these concepts demonstrated its feasibility for producing safety input for autonomous vessel design.

Abstract

Autonomous vessels have become a topic of high interest for the maritime transport industry. Recent progress in the development of technologies enabling autonomous systems has fostered the idea that autonomous vessels will soon be a reality. However, before the first autonomous vessel can be released into her actual context of operation, it is necessary to ensure that it is safe. This is a major challenge as the experience of autonomous ships is very limited. This study highlights the need for elaborating a systemic and systematic hazard analysis since the earliest design phase of an autonomous vessel. In particular, it proposes a process for elaborating an initial hazard analysis and management that provides coherent, transparent and traceable safety input information for the design of an autonomous vessel. The process is applied to analyse the hazards of two autonomous vessel concepts for urban transport in the city of Turku, Finland.