A fully electric, unmanned ferry across the Trondheim canal

Autoferry

A ferrytale story: Summon a boat with the push of a button

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has developed a fully electric, unmanned, autonomous ferry. The ferry takes passengers across the Trondheim canal – a mere 60 second trip by boat that nonetheless saves pedestrians a 15 minute walk.

The ferry works much like an elevator in that passengers can summon it by simply pushing a button. The boat charges its battery whenever docked. Additionally, the autoferry boasts sensors, optical and infrared cameras, and a radar to avoid collision with other canal traffic. Furthermore, the NTNU team is also installing sensors on land to cover any potential blind spots.

The developers of the autoferry hope that emissions-free, autonomous ferries like this can help develop regions that lack infrastructure and connections to cities. They also hope to make the technology scalable over longer distances.