On the feasibility of an Anti-grounding Service with Autonomous Surface Vessels

Grounding of ships is as of today one of the most common causes of maritime accidents. An effective anti-grounding service, where updated bathymetry data is sent in real time to a ship can improve maritime and human safety. The bathymetry data is collected by an autonomous surface vessel equipped with a multi-beam sonar while the ship is approaching the port. This data is then conveyed immediately to the ship, by employing a wireless communication link. In this paper, a study on the enabling technologies for an effective anti-grounding service is provided, with special focus on the wireless communication devices to employ for the real-time bathymetry data transmission.