Norway tests the water with world’s first driverless ferry

FIRST there were driverless cars. Now Norway has become the first country in the world to design a driverless ferry, in the hope it will end the need for expensive bridges over rivers and canals.

The first prototype is currently shuttling people and their bicycles back and forth on the waterways of Trondheim, in trials organised by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NNTU).

Although the journey is just 320ft and takes only 60 seconds, it saves pedestrians a 15-minute walk and designers are confident it could be used to join communities currently cut off by a lack of bridges.

Dubbed the “autoferry”, the little electric boat is fully autonomous, selfpropelled and fitted with sensors to avoid kayakers and other river traffic.

Passengers can call for it by pressing a button and designers say it is as “safe and easy as taking the elevator”.

It will charge its batteries while docking, as passengers disembark and board the craft.

“This is a high-technology twist to creating connections across the water,” said associate professor Dr Egil Eide, from NNTU’S Department of Electronic Systems.

“We believe driverless, emissionfree ferries can help improve urban residents’ quality of life. As well as helping developing regions that previously haven’t been linked to cities and towns due to a lack of infrastructure.”

Several Norwegian communities have announced their interest in the unmanned ferries as they could cut costs substantially. Tests are currently being carried out, but the full-scale ferry should be able to take at least 12 passengers with room to spare.