As cars and trucks become autonomous, large ships will be close behind. The Advanced Autonomous Waterborne Applications Initiative (AAWAI), funded by Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, will run from 2015 to the end 2017. ^{[1] [2]}

The initiative brings together technology companies, universities, research institutes, and ship owners to work on the legal, regulatory, and technology factors in autonomous shipping.

Rolls Royce will produce specifications and designs for autonomous ships, and is looking at the implications of remote control and autonomy of ships for propulsion, deck machinery, and other systems. Inmarsat will provide the satellite communications link needed for the remote control of ships at sea.^[3]

1. ↑ http://www.zdnet.com/article/robot-ships-controlled-by-satellite-are-on-the-horizon/
2. ↑ http://www.theverge.com/2015/10/12/9504761/rolls-royce-autonomous-unmanned-shipping-illegal
3. ↑ http://www.popsci.com/satellite-company-joins-robot-ship-project