Team sends unmanned boat across the Atlantic ocean

Team sends unmanned boat across the Atlantic ocean

The development of unmanned vehicles is gaining importance in various industries. 4 Flemish engineers now want to be the first to have an autonomous, unmanned boat crossing the Atlantic Ocean, while automatically transmitting air and water quality data to the mainland. Flanders Make sponsors the initiative and provides the necessary infrastructure to move the project forward.

4 years of testing

After 4 years of testing, a first prototype was launched for a crossing in 2019. "The first attempt was not an unqualified success, but it was a valuable beta-test", Pieter-Jan says with a smile. "The boat did very well but ended up in a storm, capsized several times and unfortunately stayed upside down. It was an instructive period in which, as in a typical engineering project, we had to learn from our mistakes." After a perilous rescue operation, the boat is now being prepared for another attempt in the autumn of 2021.

Thanks to sponsors such as Flanders Make, the team can free up a budget for new electronics that are more resistant to the saltwater environment and invest in improving the stability of the boat. The use of flexible solar panels was validated in the climate chamber with sunlight simulation of Flanders Make. Flanders Make has the necessary in-house knowledge and infrastructure for this as this technology is also interesting for the automotive industry.

Meanwhile, Pieter-Jan continues dreaming. “Columbus had a go on the crossing 500 years ago with 3 ships and 100 crew members. Now a light boat will soon be able to sail this route completely autonomously. Moreover, there is no large maritime organisation behind this but just 4 Flemish engineers with a heart for innovation. After all, not that bad”, jokes Pieter-Jan.

Want to know more?

Do you want to know more about the project or the possibilities of autonomous vehicles? Take a look at the project website or contact us.

Kristof Vrancken, Communication Officer

Kristof Vrancken is Digital Communication Officer at Flanders Make since 2019. As Digital Marketeer with experience in both B2B and B2C environments he writes with a fresh view on technological innovation, about what literally and figuratively moves within our research centre.