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Mayflower AI sea drone, orMayflower Autonomous Ship, orMayflower 400 (MAS400) is an autonomousresearch vessel that aimed to cross the Atlantic without human crew or assistance. It is named after theMayflower sailing ship, that carried English and Dutch Pilgrims onboard from England to New England between September and November 1620. Taking the same route, it was originally intended to set sail in September 2020 for in time for the 400th anniversary.[1][2]
The 15-meter long aluminumtrimaran is solar-powered and is capable of speeds of up to 10 knots (20 km/h). It has a back up diesel generator. The ship cost $1.3 million to build and is owned by thenot for profit marine research organization ProMare in partnership with computer-tech companyIBM.[3][4] The ship can sample the water for pollutants and study marine life during its voyage.
A three-week voyage was planned; theMayflower 400 was to sail fromPlymouth UK, navigate through theIsles of Scilly and over the site of the sunkenTitanic to land inPlymouth, Massachusetts. The MayflowerAutonomous Ship has a highly trained “captain” and a “navigator” knowledgeable in the rules of avoiding collisions at sea. Both functions are controlled byartificial intelligence (AI).[5]
MAS400 began its first transatlantic attempt on June 15, 2021.[6][7] Only three days later, the autonomous ship had to return to England after suffering mechanical problems.[8]
The Mayflower's second attempt began April 27, 2022, departing from England bound this time for Virginia.[9] After about one month at sea, the vehicle "developed an issue with the charging circuit for the generator starter batteries." The decision was made to switch to backup navigation and divert to Halifax, Nova Scotia, arriving there on June 9th after being towed the last 186 nautical miles.[10] After the issues attributed to basic ground faults were corrected, Mayflower continued its voyage but changed its final destination back to the original planned port of Plymouth, Massachusetts, docking there on June 30, 2022, alongside the replicaMayflower II.[11]
Since its 2022 voyage, the Mayflower has been located atWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution where scientists have been preparing the vessel for future research activities.[12]