Overview and analysis of regulatory framework for the application of autonomous vessels

Abstract

The notion of an autonomous ship has led to a reconsideration of the existing concept of the ship in terms of safety, security, design, crew, equipment, regulatory and participants in the transport process and in the entire supply chain. The paper analyzes the existing regulatory frameworks on the topic of autonomous ships and regulations dealing with the safety of vessels in maritime transport and inland waterways transportation. An overview of the literature is given in which it is defined how existing regulations should be modified to adapt to autonomous ships. The main difference is the level of ship automation, which depends on the navigation sector. The regulations defined by the International Maritime Organization are applied for navigation in maritime transportation, while the regulations of the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine have been adopted for inland waterways. In order to establish safe and unhindered navigation, it is necessary to define and adopt regulatory framework for the navigation of autonomous ships on inland waterways.