## 2 Background
### Autonomous Shipping Projects  
There are multiple autonomous shipping projects currently underway and recently completed. These projects are laying the building blocks to make autonomous ships possible, but algorithms and control systems are still in the development phase [16]. This review is not exhaustive. The key takeaways are that projects are wide-ranging and on their own trajectory. The MUNIN concept ship is an ocean going bulk carrier, unmanned for its sea passage, and is remotely controlled by an RCC [17]. This vessel is not made to operate autonomously on congested, coastal waters, as it would require crew to embark for port departures and arrivals. It can be controlled by an RCC for evasive maneuvers or during times of emergencies [18]. It is environmentally friendly, cost efficient, and, if operated correctly, expected to be 10 times less likely than a traditionally manned vessel to be involved in a collision, grounding, or sinking [18]. Its operating system is low in complexity to reduce hidden errors and development costs [17]. Novel but and Maritime Transport concepts (NOVIMAR) is being developed for the short sea shipping and inland waterways sectors, reducing manning and increasing automation of ships [19]. This four-year project started in 2017 with 9 member countries and is funded by the European Commission's Horizon2020 program. Its vision is to use a vessel train concept with ship \"trains\". A fully-crewed lead vessel is digitally linked to minimally crewed/crewless follower vessels. The main goals of NOVIMAR are to reduce vessel operational costs, increase environmentally sustainable transportation, and to optimize inland navigation by expanding the transport chain. Within the EU, there has been no significant shift of cargo transport from truck and rail to waterway in the past 20 years. This vessel train concept could lead the way in this modal shift [20]. It is said that NOVIMAR will shape a new way of transportation in the next decade [21]. Mitsui Osk Lines (MOL) is a collaboration between Rolls-Royce Marine and Kongsberg and is backed by the Japanese government. It is currently testing to improve the autonomous docking and undocking operations of passenger ferries, with the purpose of achieving seagoing voyages via vessel operation monitoring systems. MOL is driven to reduce human error-related accidents and to reduce crew workload [22]. According to Rolls-Royce Marine, autonomous ships will be not uncommon by 2030 [23]. Vard Holdings Limited plans on delivering vessel Yara Birkeland to Norwegian chemical company YARA. Working with Kongsberg's advanced monitoring and control systems designed for unmanned operations, _YARA BIRKELAND_ strives to be the first zero emission container ship capable of sailing crewless [24]. It is designed for short sea shipping, and is said to launch manned in 2020 and evolve to fully autonomous by 2022. With a max speed of 13 knots it will hold up to 120 TEUs, replacing 40,000 conventional truck trips per year [25]. Ocean Infinity's Armada is a fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and unmanned surface vessels (USVs) that can launch and be remotely operated by experienced mariners via satellite from an RCC. Operational in 2020 for ocean surveying and underwater data collection [26], its driving factors include environmental sustainability and reduction in manpower at sea. Its small carbon footprint and unmanned design is aimed at reducing costs while increasing the safety of ocean survey evolutions. These vehicles contain many sensors that can be used for other purposes aside from ocean floor mapping, such as searching for missing objects, moving freight upwards of 60 tons, and surveying conditions and environments for laying cable and wind farms [27]. The Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) is set to recreate its historical journey in spring 2021. This is to commemorate 400 years since the original _MAYELOWER_ set sail from Plymouth, UK, and landed at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts, bringing pilgrims to the new world.