MAGPIE demonstration
Can your car already park itself? This ship certainly can! In fact, during last Thursday’s MAGPIE demonstration, the container ship MS Letitia sailed fully autonomously from the Amaliahaven (Maasvlakte), via the Europoort and the Nieuwe Waterweg, to the Waalhaven.
In fact, during last Thursday’s MAGPIE demonstration at RDM Next, the container ship MS Letitia sailed fully autonomously from the Amaliahaven (Maasvlakte), via the Europoort and the Nieuwe Waterweg, to the Waalhaven.
Why this successful test run is such a technological breakthrough:
- Flawless real-world navigation: The system took control in a highly dynamic, busy port environment. It independently detected other vessels, calculated safe avoidance routes, and carried out complex manoeuvres such as docking and undocking entirely on its own.
- The ultimate co-pilot: Advanced technologies such as the argoPositionPilot and smart radar systems continuously scan the surroundings. The captain remained on board and ultimately responsible, but the technology fully took over the heavy computational and steering tasks.
- Greener and smarter: Inland waterway transport is already significantly more energy-efficient than road transport. Autonomous sailing makes inland shipping even more flexible, efficient, and reliable, crucial for handling growing freight volumes and easing congestion on our overcrowded roads.
This milestone is part of the European MAGPIE project, in which the Port of Rotterdam Authority is working with 45 partners on a smart, climate-neutral port of the future.
Photography: Nienke Terpstra
