BOSTON (WHDH) - A robotic “Mayflower” will sail across the Atlantic Ocean in September to mark the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims coming to America.
The autonomous ship being built by ProMare with IBM’s AI at the helm will set sail from England on Sept. 6, 2020, and sail more than 3,000 miles over the course of nearly two weeks before arriving in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
The unmanned vessel is guided by GPS and powered by wind and solar energy, according to project director Brett Phaneuf.
“It’s essentially a robot,” Phaneuf told 7NEWS. “It will be driven by biodiesel, wind, and solar. It’s piloted by artificial intelligence that we’re working with IBM to create.”
Just as it was in 1620, the biggest risk to the new ship is the weather, Phaneuf said.
While the ship navigates the open water, it will collect data on the levels of microplastic pollution in the ocean. It will also have the ability to listen to marine animals.
Phaneuf says he hopes the robotic ship will change the world, much like its predecessor did.
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