Rolls-Royce has been working on designs for remote-controlled cargo vessels as a first step toward overcoming widespread industry skepticism. … Separately, the European Union is funding a $4.8 million research project to study the feasibility of a ship operating autonomously until it nears port and a crew is taken aboard.
For now, though, remote-controlled cargo ships remain far beyond the horizon. Unmanned ships may be technically possible, but they don’t fit a legal and regulatory environment that’s taken centuries to develop and would take years to change.
