Shoal partners to assure autonomous maritime vehicles
Adelaide, 1 February 2022 — Cutting edge systems engineering firm, Shoal Group, has been awarded a Commonwealth Grant as part of the Business Research and Innovation Initiative (BRII). Under the Regulatory Technology round, Shoal, partnered with Trusted Autonomous Systems (TAS), will investigate smart solutions to the challenges faced by commercial and Defence users of autonomous vessels in Australia.
Stakeholders in the Australian autonomous systems domain currently navigate complex, multi-party, domestic regulatory frameworks that are written for crewed systems. The proposed ASSURED-M, or Assurance System Supporting Uncrewed Research, Evaluation and Design – Maritime platform, has the potential to reduce the time and resources required for maritime regulatory compliance, for operators, system designers, and regulators.
The initial feasibility study for the ASSURED-M platform will be led by Shoal Group in partnership with Trusted Autonomous Systems (TAS). TAS is an internationally-recognised leader in autonomous and robotic technologies, together with the legal, regulatory and ethical frameworks that underpin their safe and trusted use. The team will also collaborate with experts in maritime safety, including AMC Search, the training and consultancy division of the Australian Maritime College, and artificial intelligence specialist Silverpond.
“Our collaboration with industry partners and academia will allow us to explore both the technical and commercial opportunities of developing this platform to streamline compliance for civilian and defence vessels and ultimately reduce risk to our marine environment,” said Kevin Robinson, Chief Engineer at Shoal Group.
“The joint team will conduct a feasibility study which will lead to the development of cutting-edge IP, to solve not only today’s problems, but future issues as autonomous systems gain traction worldwide.”
“This platform development is led by Shoal’s Blue Water Innovation, Research and Development Program. Building on a history of success in innovation, with an approach that will virtually test the systems to ensure they are compliant to the safety regulations.”
“Shoal has expertise in high-power rocket risk hazard analysis for the Australian Space Agency and Defence range safety, ensuring compliance with relevant safety standards and codes. It is built upon many years of experience in civil and Defence Range Safety, using modern tools which allow development of almost any vehicle type, to the required fidelity.”
ASSURED-M will be an agile web-based service for operators of autonomous marine vessels to quickly understand regulatory requirements, be guided through test and evaluation options, and access a Digital Compliance Lab as a test environment.
“Digital tools can revolutionise the way people interact with regulatory information and processes, dramatically improving efficiency and certainty for autonomous vessel operators and other stakeholders,” said Rachel Horne, Assurance of Autonomy Activity Lead at TAS.
“TAS’s Assurance of Autonomy Activity aims to support Australia’s autonomous systems ecosystem and drive business to Queensland’s world-class test ranges, ReefWorks in Townsville and the Queensland UAS Flight Test Range in Cloncurry, by implementing solutions to regulatory barriers including digital tools and upskilling and connecting industry.”
“TAS is excited to be part of the BRII Challenge and looks forward to working with Shoal to produce a world-class platform that delivers real benefit to Australian industry.”
Following the feasibility study, Shoal can apply for the Proof-of-Concept Stage which will see the development of ASSURED-M as a minimum viable product (MVP). This MVP will enable users to quickly identify applicable regulatory requirements for their specific vessel and proposed operation, together with assurance requirements and resources. ASSURED-M will lead to faster uptake of autonomous systems technology and a stronger industry, by reducing cost and uncertainty. It is expected that Defence will be one of the biggest adopters of these systems along with government departments who will be able to monitor twice as much ocean, at half the cost.
About Shoal
Shoal Group performs research in cutting-edge systems engineering with a particular focus on early lifecycle design with experience in maritime and aerospace modelling, simulation and analysis. Shoal is conducting research into the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology across several engineering domains and has a significant research track record in the fields of uncrewed aerial and underwater craft. Shoal’s experienced team has led the development of the early-stage design and development for some of Australia’s largest and most complex systems, across defence, space, transport and infrastructure. More: shoalgroup.com
About Trusted Autonomous Systems
Trusted Autonomous Systems (TAS) is Australia’s first Defence Cooperative Research Centre. TAS is uniquely equipped to deliver world-leading autonomous and robotic technologies to enable trusted and effective cooperation between humans and machines with a goal to improve the competitiveness, productivity, and sustainability of the Australian industry. TAS is working to support the growing Australian autonomous systems ecosystem by identifying and addressing key hurdles in the assurance and accreditation frameworks for autonomous systems and connecting stakeholders to broaden understanding of issues and effect meaningful change. More: tasdcrc.com.au
Media contact: Jacqui Tyack, Marketing and Brand Manager +61 422 999 088 [email protected]
