Proceedings magazine is a communication tool for the Coast Guard's Marine Safety & Security Council. Each quarterly magazine focuses on a specific theme of interest to the marine industry.
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37 Summer 2015 Proceedings www.uscg.mil/proceedings qualifed as licensed mates of manned vessels or their military equivalent? Of what should the training regimen con- sist? Ultimately, the main challenge is how manned vessels and unmanned sys- tems will co-exist. More specifically, how should they act and respond when risk of collision exists? Initially from the Coast Guard perspective, it appeared that the International Regu- lations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) and inland navigation rules might address the issue (see side- bar). As the discussion progressed, it became evident that there is certainly more to the issue than simply insert- ing unmanned systems into the current regulatory regime. From the industry viewpoint, how do we demonstrate that unmanned maritime systems are "equivalent" to manned vessels through design, con- struction, certifcation, licensing, train- ing, and operational standards? The Way Ahead Un man ned marit ime systems are already an integral part of the mari- time environment and have been for more than 15 years. They will become more technically sophisticated and larger in size. There will be more frequent interactions between them and manned vessels. It is imperative that both manned and unmanned operations proceed without incident or negative impact to the marine environment. Coast Guard personnel will continue to ensure navigation safety and the protection of life and property at sea, and assume the leading role to resolve issues related to the safe and proper operation of all manned ves- sels and unmanned vehicles within their purview. Coast Guard person- nel will also draft best practices that carefully balance the need to protect manned vessels with the practical considerations of implementing the Example of sensing and autonomous control for COLREGS compliance. Top: Stereo pair of images used for situational awareness with vehicle crossing from starboard. Bottom: Autonomy system view of the situation with automatic determination of the relevant COLREGS situation, and autonomous decision making for the combination of course and speed that satisfes COLREGS. Figure courtesy of Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Actual track of an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) overlaid on a satellite photo and nautical chart. The UUV transited submerged from Pt. Allerton in Boston Harbor back to its home pier following the normal traffc scheme, surfacing for occasional GPS updates outside the scheme so as not to interfere with surface traffc. Courtesy of Bluefn Robotics.