The 4.5-meter-long autonomous ship, built within the scope of the project launched by scientists at the ITU Faculty of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering in 2019, was launched in 2021. During this period, tests were conducted regarding the remote control operation of the ship, whose underwater noise and maneuverability were measured. After the successful completion of these tests, a new phase was started for the autonomous ship project, with the participation of experts in different disciplines from many faculties. The automatic driving tests of the ship, which was produced completely domestically and nationally, were also fully successful. In the tests carried out by scientists at ITU Gölet, the ship, which moved automatically according to the coordinates given and reached the target, reached a level where it could move forward on its own. It was determined that the results of these tests were also compatible with the previously performed numerical simulation data.

“Control of the ship has become automated”:

The coordinator of the project is the Dean of ITU Faculty of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering Prof. Dr. Ömer Kemal Kınacı said that a new stage has been entered for the ship launched in 2021 within the scope of the project supported by TÜBİTAK.

Stating that they have been working on the control of the ship's movement especially for the last 2 years, Kınacı said, “When the ship is launched, it can go in the direction it needs to go even if there is wind, waves or any external disruptive effect. When its route is disrupted, it can automatically adjust its direction angle by controlling its rudder. In addition, it can adjust the engine speed itself to reach the desired speed and the propulsion system works integrated with the control algorithm.” Stating that the ship control has now become automatic, Kınacı explained that they are at the third of the six levels required for full autonomy.Kınacı stated that in the next stages, work will be done on the ship being able to maintain its position by performing dynamic positioning, and developing its ability to make plans by adding a route planning mode. Kınacı said, “In the next stage, our ship will detect obstacles with image processing, and will be able to move its rudder and propeller itself to make maneuvers that it needs to slow down and avoid. When we determine the place we want it to go today, that is, when we say 'Go at this speed', it can go there as fast as we want. In other words, it can plan a route up to a point. It just needs to have some features that will avoid collision maneuvers with image processing.”

Kınacı stated that the ship was completely produced domestically and nationally within the university within the body of ITU and continued as follows: “The selection, design and assembly of all the equipment inside the ship belongs to our team. The software between the ship dynamics and the electronic equipment that provides control of the ship was also made by our team. The rudder and propeller were printed on 3D printers in the newly established Marine Robotics Laboratory. All the work is carried out within the laboratory.”

Prof. Dr. Kınacı stated that they brought together talented students and researchers from many different faculties in the autonomous ship project and that they owe the point reached today to this.

“We have made it possible to leave the ship alone without controlling it”:

Participating in the project was ITU Faculty of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering Assist. Prof. Dr. Cihad Delen said that the tested ship was a model scale container ship. Explaining that they examined the maneuvering characteristics of a fast container ship, Delen said, “Today, we successfully carried out our tests with a container ship to which we tried to give autonomous features. Our ship is a 1/80 scale model of a 355-meter fast container ship. Today, we have made it possible to leave the ship alone without remote control. In fact, we are communicating with the ship in a way and allowing the ship to make some of its own decisions. In addition, we successfully conducted a test in which we tried to provide the ship with the ability to follow its route and maintain its course.”

Related Staff:
Marine Robotics Laboratory
Ömer Kemal Kınacı
Cihad Delen