Fleets of autonomous boats could be the future of transportation in cities such as Amsterdam, Bangkok and Venice where waterways and bridges are weaved in to the infrastructure of the city.
Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and the Senseable City Lab in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP), have taken a step toward that future by designing a fleet of autonomous boats that offer high maneuverability and precise control. The boats can also be rapidly 3-D printed using a low-cost printer, making mass manufacturing more feasible.
These boats could be used in the future to taxi people around as well as to deliver goods around the world. In the future, there may also be driverless boats to perform city services overnight, instead of during daylight hours, further reducing the congestion found in major cities.
This story is published courtesy of MIT News
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