Rolls-Royce and Intel collaborating on intelligent ships

Systems will have the same technology found in smart cities, autonomous cars and drones.
   Rolls-Royce and Intel are collaborating on designs for sophisticated intelligent shipping systems designed to make commercial shipping safer.
   New ships will have systems with the same technology found in smart cities, autonomous cars and drones, the companies said in announcing their collaboration.
   The new shipping intelligence systems will have data center and artificial intelligence capabilities that manage navigation, obstacle detection and communications. 
   • Intel field programmable gate array technology will provide engineers with a flexible platform and the IP and components for such operations as obstacle detection and navigation.
   • Intel Xeon scalable processors optimized for high-performance computing technology will manage complex modeling of ship functions, with future developments using learning models to support fully autonomous operations.
   • Memory and storage will ensure ship intelligence systems are reliable, responsive and support extracting maximum value from the data generated through real-time analysis and systems modeling.
   Kevin Daffey, Rolls-Royce director of engineering and technology and ship intelligence, said the new technologies being developed with Intel “will play a big part in enabling the safe operation of autonomous ships. This collaboration can help us to support ship owners in the automation of their navigation and operations, reducing the opportunity for human error and allowing crews to focus on more valuable tasks.”
   Adrian Criddle, general manager and SVP of Intel U.K., said “smart, connected and data-centric systems … will be a foundation for safe shipping operations around the world in the future.”
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