Murmansk Team Develops Russia’s First Full Autopilot for Uncrewed Boats
The experimental system has already been tested in real-world cargo operations.
Engineers at Murmansk-based Progress have developed Russia’s first full autopilot for an uncrewed boat. The development was carried out as part of the Geroi tumana (Heroes of the Fog) project. The company’s CEO, Ivan Sukhanov, described the new system.
According to Sukhanov, the system is extremely simple to operate. The operator only needs to enter the route coordinates, and the boat sets off. The automation can also detect wave conditions and, when necessary, adjust the throttle and make steering corrections. The new system outperforms conventional solutions designed only to maintain course, which leave captains to compensate for deviations themselves.
The prototype has already passed testing successfully and completed several cargo runs, including the first autonomous voyage north of the Arctic Circle, covering about 170 kilometers. The company plans for the boat to be able to deliver up to 1 metric ton of cargo to remote and hard-to-reach areas of the Murmansk Region.
