During this week’s Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services (RTCM) Assembly and Conference, Sea Machines discussed several use cases for autonomous surface vessels, including marine spill-response. As a part of the “Precision Navigation and Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships” session, the company’s Warren Freda, business development manager, detailed Sea Machines’ recent demonstration of the industry’s first autonomous-command and remote-helm controlled skimmer vessel, which the company deployed in Portland, Maine, for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Maritime Administration (MARAD), in August. After explaining how the demonstration proved Sea Machines’ ability to increase the safety, productivity and predictability of response for marine oil-spill operations, Freda expanded the topic to include other applicable government and commercial marine sectors – such as survey, security and patrol, defense operations and more. The session was followed by a Q&A, giving the audience of marine industry regulators, vessel owners and operators, and others the chance to discuss future uses for autonomous marine surface vessels.

The RTCM Assembly and Conference was held in conjunction with the larger 2019 National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA)/RTCM Conference & Expo, at the Renaissance Hotel in Portsmouth, Virginia, also happening this week.