The artificial intelligence-assisted uncrewed Mayflower ship, which set out to cross the Atlantic ocean unmanned, had to return before it could complete its adventure after experiencing a mechanical failure.
Built with IBM assistance by ProMare, a nonprofit focused on marine research, the ship sailed from Plymouth, England, last month to reach Washington DC. But less than two weeks after the start of the voyage, the computer-controlled ship broke down near Portugal.
Mayflower has multiple cameras and sensors running computer vision algorithms for navigation. But if it does have a hardware problem, it doesn’t have the crew to fix it. Information on the condition of the 15-metre-long vessel is shared via an online dashboard, where viewers can track its location and watch live streams underway.
A spectator noticed that the ship’s solar-charged batteries had dropped and drifted off course last week. Live broadcasts have since been shut down.
Mayflower project co-director, former board member and ProMare president, Brett Phaneuf, confirmed that the ship will be towed. Engineers will attempt to assess and repair the mechanical failure: “The ship has had a bit of trouble and we are making a port call to Horta, Azores, to take a look at it and make sure it can complete the rest of the voyage.”
The cause of the malfunction is unclear, as the Mayflower has not yet reached Horta.
ProMare hopes to fix the mechanical issue and send the ship back to sea to continue the journey. The malfunction appears to be caused by the ship’s generator and none of the machine learning software features are affected.
This is not the first failure of the ship’s generator. When the Mayflower attempted its first transatlantic voyage in 2021, engineers discovered that a metal component of the ship’s generator had broken. Diesel fuel leaked and could only use solar panels for energy without a backup power source. The ship was recalled for repair just three days after sailing.
The second attempt did not go smoothly either. Still, the ship was able to stay at sea for at least longer before this final mechanical setback.
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