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Technology Touted for Making Shipping Cleaner, More Efficient

Houston Chronicle

Upheaval in the modern maritime sector can be compared to changes in the 19th century, when relatively efficient steam-powered engines replaced giant sails dependent on gusts of wind.

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That includes figuring out how autonomous ships fit into the industry’s existing fundamental principles and international rules, said Jonathan Waldron, a partner at law firm Blank Rome. He said the International Maritime Organization is looking at which international standards should apply to autonomous vessels and which would need to be amended.

It’s the first step in a long journey. He hopes early regulations are flexible and can evolve with the developing technology.

“Autonomous vessels, we’re in the baby steps. The baby age,” Waldron said. “We have a long way to go.”

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"Technology Touted for Making Shipping Cleaner, More Efficient," by Andrea Rumbaugh was published in Houston Chronicle on March 5, 2018.