Autonomous shipping: CAPTN initiative presents results the SMM trade fair in Hamburg

27. August 2024

The CAPTN initiative will present its concept for an autonomous and sustainable passenger ferry at the SMM trade fair in Hamburg (booth 128, hall B7). Over four days, researchers and partners will present results from the individual projects at the WTSH joint stand. In addition, the participants of the CAPTN initiative will discuss the topic “The Future of Autonomous Shipping in Germany” together with nationally and internationally recognized experts from the fields of digital technology and shipping.

The international trade fair SMM (Shipbuilding, Machinery and Marine Technology) in Hamburg from September 3 to 6 is a must for the maritime industry. The organizers are expecting around 2,000 exhibiting companies and around 40,000 participants from more than 120 countries. This year the CAPTN (Clean Autonomous Public Transport Network) initiative will present the results and progress of three research projects that are researching and developing the construction of an autonomous and sustainable ferry across the Kiel Fjord.

“The CAPTN initiative is the only provider of innovative solutions for maritime, urban, sustainable and autonomous public transport in Germany. Within Schleswig-Holstein, we are considered a beacon because our projects bring together researchers and industry to work on groundbreaking mobility concepts. We are proud to present our results in the field of semi-autonomous and autonomous navigation, object recognition and data transmission to an international audience at the WTSH booth,” said Dr. Wiebke Müller-Lupp, coordinator of the CAPTN initiative and scientific director of the Kiel Institute for Science and Technology.

In particular, the CAPTN projects Förde Areal and Förde 5G have made great progress in establishing autonomous transportation over the past three years. In the course of the research projects, the specially built research vessel MS Wavelab was successfully remote-controlled from a control center on land. Object recognition using the numerous sensors and cameras is at a good level, and the first autonomous maneuvers are about to be tested.

Q&A with experts at the booth

From Tuesday to Friday, various experts from different projects, research and industry partners will be present at the CAPTN Initiative booth (booth 128 in hall B7). These include researchers from the Kiel University of Applied Sciences (FH Kiel), such as shipbuilding professor Dr. Hendrik Dankowski, doctoral students from the computer science working groups at FH Kiel and the University of Kiel (CAU), who are working on object recognition and autonomous route planning for potential self-driving ferries, as well as industry partners such as ADDIX. The Kiel-based company is developing a robust digital infrastructure that enables fail-safe, near real-time communication between ship and shore.

CAPTN partner Anschütz (Hall B6, Stand 304) will also focus on autonomous navigation. The manufacturer and integrator of navigation, bridge and mission systems for surface and underwater vessels will present its participation in the CAPTN project Förde Areal, in which, among other things, the research catamaran MS Wavelab is remotely controlled from the control center at the Anschütz site in Kiel. (Wed, 04.09. and Thu, 05.09. from 14:00: On the way to autonomous navigation: advanced assistance systems to overcome crew shortage).

Panel Discussion on Autonomous Navigation in Germany

To kick off the trade fair, representatives of the CAPTN initiative and experts from the maritime industry will address the question: Where is autonomous shipping heading in Germany? The panel discussion “Steering Future – The Future of Autonomous Navigation in Germany” will take place on the Digital & Security Stage (Hall B6, 03.09., 10:15 a.m.): Prof. Dr. Dirk Nowotka (Dependable Systems Group, Kiel University, scientific spokesman of the CAPTN initiative), Andreas Mues (Managing Director Anschütz GmbH), Sönke Stich (Project Manager, Gebr. Friedrich Werft), Manfred Constapel (Head of Maritime Informatics, Fraunhofer CML) and Dr. Phanthian Zuesongdham (Head of Digital and Business Transformation Unit and Head of smartPORT Program Management, Hamburg Port Authority AöR).

For the first time, the conferences will be open to the public on the four transition stages in the exhibition halls: Green Stage, Open Stage, Cruise & Ferry Stage and Digital & Security Stage. Details at https://www.smm-hamburg.com/

(Erstellt mit Unterstützung von KI)