Autonomous Surface Vessels and Colregs: Considering the Amendments
Autonomous Surface Vessels and Colregs: Considering the Amendments

Summary/Abstract: Unmanned vessels have been receiving increasing attention over the past few years. In the research and development sector, Autonomous Surface Vessels have been used for over a decade with different degrees of autonomy. The most advanced vessels are already (circum) navigating the oceans, and the question is raised to what extent they are aligned with relevant international maritime legislation. Currently, there is a noted lack of concrete legal clarification on how to adapt Autonomous Surface Vessels to legal instruments such as the 1972 Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs). This paper examines to what extent a fully Autonomous Surface Vessel can comply with a possible amended version of COLREGs. The analysis is conducted from legal and technical perspectives.

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