Automated transport systems/Automated, zero-emissions ships
90% of international trade is moved by ship[1], so automated shipping is a huge key to an automated infrastructure.
Luckily ships, like trains, are comparatively easy to automate, as there are not many things to bump into out at sea, and they do not have to deal with the high-speed manoeuvering that has challenged designers of autonomous helicopters and cars. There are plenty of small unmanned military boats (USVs for 'unmanned surface vehicles' in military-speak) in operation already. With GPS, it is easy for a ship to be programmed to go from anywhere to anywhere else. Loading and unloading cargo ships has become more and more automated since the 1950s and it is now possible to get containers off ships and into trucks without any human labour.
There is an abundance of clean energy available at sea. The large surface area of a ship provides ample space for sails and solar panels and wave power can also be harnessed.
Sail-power is making a comeback in commercial shipping. It makes commercial sense to avail of a free source of energy and sails can now be computer-controlled to automatically turn to the angle that best catches the wind. There are many designs that incorporate photovoltaic cell on the sails
An autonomous, clean cargo ship is technically feasible with currently existing technology. However, there is no fully worked-out design for one yet in existence. Time for an open-source design project, perhaps?
