Identifying research directions of a remotely-controlled merchant ship by revisiting her system-theoretic safety control structure

TLDR

Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) are a focus of R&D, yet research gaps remain, especially regarding technical solutions and the impact of new technology on maritime safety. The study conducts a literature review of operational features of remotely‑controlled merchant vessels to identify these gaps. The framework employs a safety control structure derived from System‑Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA). The review shows that research concentrates on high‑end system components, leaving organizational and human‑oriented issues under‑explored, a finding relevant to scholars and industry partners.

Abstract

Despite the concept of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) being in the limelight of research and development effort within the shipping industry, there are still some existing research gaps. These pertain not only to technical solutions to be implemented but also to the issue of the impact of new technology on maritime safety. In an attempt to identify these gaps, we perform a literature review of the operational features of remotely-controlled merchant vessels. The framework is based on a safety control structure developed in accordance with the principles of System-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA). The results indicate that most scholars focus on the high-end components of the system, while some organizational and human-oriented issues remain under-explored. These results can be found relevant by scholars and industry partners active in the domain of autonomous shipping.