Risky work in my day, but an autonomous tug?

“The principle thing we’ve been working on in the DARPA program is the ability to obey the rules of the road at sea autonomously,” says Littlefield. “The goal is to not just have a remote-controlled boat, but a vessel that can avoid collisions with other ships and behave appropriately on the high seas just as if it were being steered by a human mariner.”

Beginning in June 2018, four saildrones will duplicate the path of the NOAA Fisheries ship Reuben Lasker as it collects data on populations of sardine, anchovy and other small fishes, to also survey hake, a deep-water species that is one of the West Coast's most valuable commercial fisheries..

Private Yacht "A" and the USNS Zumwalt Class Destroyer

I was the dry-dock pilot when she went into Mare Island Shipyard. One of the most sophisticated floating scientific platforms around. It plays an important role in the collection of data related to climate change.

The first step was a successful demonstration vessel in early 2014, allowing for realistic testing of the wing technology and also allowed ferry service professionals a chance to see the wing in action on the Bay.