IBM-powered Mayflower robo-ship once again tries to cross Atlantic
- Reference: 1653632893
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/05/27/mayflower_autonomous_ship_latest/
- Source link:
Built by ProMare, a non-profit organization focused on marine research, and IBM, the Mayflower set sail on April 28, beginning its over 3,000-mile voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. But after less than two weeks, the crewless ship [1]broke down and was brought back to port in Horta in the Azores, 850 miles off the coast of Portugal, for engineers to inspect.
With no humans onboard, the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) can only rely on its numerous cameras, sensors, equipment controllers, and various bits of hardware running machine-learning algorithms to survive. The computer-vision software helps it navigate through choppy waters and avoid objects that may be in its path.
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Its first transatlantic crossing attempt [3]ended in failure due to a mechanical fault with its generator. Thankfully, the technical problem this time around was minor and ProMare and IBM managed to get the ship back out to sea to resume its [4]latest attempt to get to the US.
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"ProMare identified the issue as an isolation switch that failed," an IBM spokesperson told The Register . "The IBM technology on board remained functioning as designed and continues to function as designed."
The switch affected the Mayflower's electrical supply system, sapping its power. After the team fixed the issue, they ran tests, refilled its diesel tanks, and waited for good weather to send it back into the ocean. "As of 0900 BST May 20, MAS was back underway with its transatlantic crossing," the IBM spokesperson said. It is [7]aiming to complete the remaining 2,225-mile voyage in 16 days. Now, nearly a week into resuming its journey, the ship has made it to its furthest distance yet, a little over halfway to America.
[8]IBM's autonomous Mayflower ship breaks down in second transatlantic attempt
[9]Autonomous Mayflower to attempt Atlantic crossing, again
[10]Self-sailing Mayflower ship to have another crack at Atlantic crossing next year
[11]The human-devoid AI-powered Saildrone Surveyor ship just made it to Hawaii from SF
The Mayflower's AI software runs on four computers containing Intel processors, six Nvidia Jetson AGX Xavier GPUs, two Nvidia Jetson Xavier NX boards, and a few other chips. Live camera footage [12]streaming from a webcam onboard the ship is back up online for viewers to follow.
"We've made lots of improvements – the computer vision system has been significantly improved through at-sea testing, and similarly the data fusion algorithms are functioning better and better with every deployment and have greatly improved over the course of the past year," Brett Phaneuf, co-director of the Mayflower project and a former board member and president of ProMare, earlier told The Register in a statement.
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"We've also improved many mechanical systems, particularly the air intake and exhaust for the generator on the hybrid drive line – and we've reduced power consumption significantly as well, over the past year, through applied research, testing and trials, and we've made the boat more robust in general." ®
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[1] https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/11/mayflower_autonomous_ship/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YpChRY-gZffeOXjSdu7rfgAAAAQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/19/in_brief_ai/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/29/ibm_autonomous_mayflower/
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YpChRY-gZffeOXjSdu7rfgAAAAQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YpChRY-gZffeOXjSdu7rfgAAAAQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://twitter.com/AI_Mayflower/status/1527733195357175812
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/11/mayflower_autonomous_ship/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/29/ibm_autonomous_mayflower/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/27/autonomous_mayflower_ship/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/09/saildrone_surveyor_radar/
[12] https://mas400.com/dashboard#live
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YpChRY-gZffeOXjSdu7rfgAAAAQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: What is the actual goal?
Isn't it obvious? It has AI!!!!!!1!!!one!!!11!!!
Clearly it must be the best boat ever.
"ProMare identified the issue as an isolation switch that failed,"
Wait, isn't there any redundancy? It's weird for an autonomous system left alone in an Ocean.
It would be weird for the electrical system of any other ocean-going vessel, yes.
But not this boat! It has AI! Who needs redundancy when you've got AI?
Most probably the switch did not have the grace to fail properly.
It seems to me that the switch failed on, preventing a circuit from being isolated. From past experience designers often cater for things failing off (redundant power supplies, separate circuits) but not the reverse.
The exception was with machinery guarding where we used monitored relays and redundant circuits.
Does anybody know the budget for this? If it's been built on a shoestring by a team of enthusiastic grads, using donated equipment and more chin fuzz than expertise, then this is all par for the course. congratulations all, you're learning a lot, great effort and good luck with your project.
If on the other hand, it's been built with proper investment by proper companies, set up to benchmark and prove cutting-edge technology, with access to all the latest wizardry and thousands of years of combined experience, then no this is a shitshow and not acceptable. Go back to page 1, sack a few technology consultants, employ a few sailors who've actually been to sea and some grizzled engineers who know a bit about operating machinery in a marine environment, and do it properly next time.
Here's the "crew".
https://mas400.com/people
Probably not a hell of a lot of peach-fuzz left on that lot anymore.
I must say, though, it's a hell of a lot more folks than I would expect for a project of this size and scope. I was expecting maybe ten, total, given that IBM was involved[0]. Methinks there might be another issue:
Designed and engineered by committee.
[0] Ever see IBM field engineers in lots of fewer than three?
Re: Here's the "crew".
[0] Ever see IBM field engineers in lots of fewer than three?
They hunt in packs...
Just maybe
the "AI" is way more intelligent than expected and just does not want to go to the U.S.A.?
On the bright side, weather is looking good for a beer garden Friday. Have a good un y'all.
Cheers... Ishy
Re: Just maybe
If it were THAT intelligent, it would avoid the East Coast, head for Panama and then up the Pacific Coast to any port North of Morro Bay.
Re: Just maybe
It is looking for the lost shaker of salt enroute to Margaritaville
Re: Just maybe
Fri 27 May 10:52:28 BST 2022
Current course 311°, which puts it on a heading for northern Nova Scotia. AI may be achieving consciousness :))
What is the actual goal?
Autonomous navigation far out at sea is long solved.
Autonomous docking is pretty much solved, and of course not much of that happens at sea.
The platform itself has proven less reliable than the battered motor yachts I skippered as a youth.
So far it seems the only thing they've proven is that a crew is absolutely necessary.