RISE Research Institutes of Sweden has announced that the autonomous electric ferry, the MF Estelle, has completed its journey between the Swedish islands Kungsholmen and Södermalm, demonstrating the vehicle’s potential, the ‘world’s first’ of its kind.
Håkan Burden, Senior Researcher at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, explains, “We wanted to test whether the ferry could cross a large bay in central Stockholm and dock on the other side all by itself, after just a push of a button 600 kilometers away in Norway. The trial was the first ever of its kind and showed that it is possible. In this way, we can learn together and create a market for smart ships.”
Originally launched in 2023, MF Estelle is designed by the Norwegian Brødrene Aa and has been described to have ‘sustainability at its core’.
The MF Estelle is built using carbon fibre which helps reduce the vessel’s weight and optimises its energy usage.
It was announced that an operator will be onboard the vessel initially. With the MF Estelle eventually being fully self-driving and monitored from land.
Image: Sinikka Halme via Wikicommons