Having strong background in robotic and automation I can tell you that this looks great on paper. However too many thing can go wrong, especially at sea even if this vessel is making short runs.
They said the vessel be operated by a crew then run remotely. That can be done, however they will need a techs onboard for a failsafe in case the remote link fails as well as any other break downs.
Also they said the ship will cost 25 mil. About three times as much as much as a conventional ship of similar size, but will save up to 90% in annual operating costs by eliminating both fuel and crew. Mmmm NO!
The Shipping rates will be sky high to cover the cost of building the ship as well as the tech support for the vessel which are high end paying jobs. The whole idea of automation is to cut cost and show in x years how much you will save.
They never said how many years it will take to recoup the cost of building the ship did they? Nor the did not say what the operating cost will be for the ship.
So therefore to me this is just R&D much in the same way they have been R&Ding automated cars that drive you down the road. Look how long they have been trying to get that off the ground. It’s been decades and we still do not have it.
Do not get me wrong. R&D is a good thing. However in this case, we will not be seeing the oceans filled with automated cargo ships for many many years down the road!
Cheers
H.