Context: A team of researchers from the marine research organization ProMare in collaboration with IBM built the world’s first Artificial Intelligence(AI) ship named ‘Mayflower 400’.

About MayFlower-400

• Mayflower 400 is an unmanned and completely autonomous ship. It is powered by Artificial Intelligence and the Sun’s energy via solar panels.
• Purpose: Main aim of this ship is to study marine pollution and analyze plastics in the water. It will also track the aquatic animals. The ship is set to sail on a transatlantic voyage.

Key Features of the Ship

• The ship has been taught how to avoid collisions. Thus, the ship can correct its course itself.
• The ship has been trained with a hundred hours of audio data. The training will help the ship to detect the presence of marine animals. Thereby, it will provide information about the population distribution of these animals in the ocean.
• Furthermore, the ship is capable of self-activating a hydrophone that can listen to whales.
• Also, the ship is equipped with smart captain. This AI tech along with radars and cameras will help the ship to learn during its course.
• Contributions: Various nations such as India, the United States, and Switzerland have contributed a variety of technology to the project.
• Significance: 80% of the underwater world remains unexplored. Hence, the ship will help in exploring this unexplored area.

By: Shubham Tiwari