Autonomous Ferry

A waterborne passenger vessel that navigates, docks, and avoids obstacles without a human pilot, typically using a sensor suite (cameras, radar, LiDAR, ultrasonic, IMU, GNSS) and a shore-based supervisory operator. Autonomous ferries are being trialled as sustainable alternatives to bridges and crewed vessels in cities with canal networks. Accessibility concerns centre on the vessel-quay interface — variable tide and ramp slope, boarding without deckhand assistance, and the loss of implicit crew cues that previously supported disabled passengers — making universal design of the entire travel chain critical.