IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jworld/v5y2024i2p15-292d1385001.html

Autonomous Ships: A Thematic Review

Author

Listed:
  • Ruhaimatu Abudu

    (Transportation, Logistics & Finance, College of Business, North Dakota State University, P.O. Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050, USA)

  • Raj Bridgelall

    (Transportation, Logistics & Finance, College of Business, North Dakota State University, P.O. Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050, USA)

Abstract

Ships connect the global economy through maritime transport. However, their susceptibility to increasing geopolitical conflicts has heightened concerns about the risks to crew safety and navigation security. This systematic literature review (SLR), utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, rigorously examines the safety and security of autonomous ships in maritime transport. The methodology employs a comprehensive search across major databases including Scopus, Google Scholar, and Science Direct, based on explicit inclusion criteria focusing on recent advancements from 2014 to 2023. By methodically analyzing 58 relevant publications screened from an initial pool of 1407, this paper highlights critical trends and gaps in the application of advanced sensor technologies, cybersecurity measures, and autonomous navigation systems. The findings provide insights into the operational challenges and technological developments shaping the future of maritime safety and security, offering valuable guidance for policymakers and industry stakeholders. This research contributes to scholarly discourse in this industry by mapping the trajectory of technological integration and its implications for maritime operations in a global context.

Suggested Citation

  • Ruhaimatu Abudu & Raj Bridgelall, 2024. "Autonomous Ships: A Thematic Review," World, MDPI, vol. 5(2), pages 1-17, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jworld:v:5:y:2024:i:2:p:15-292:d:1385001
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4060/5/2/15/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4060/5/2/15/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wróbel, Krzysztof & Montewka, Jakub & Kujala, Pentti, 2018. "Towards the development of a system-theoretic model for safety assessment of autonomous merchant vessels," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 209-224.
    2. Chang, Chia-Hsun & Kontovas, Christos & Yu, Qing & Yang, Zaili, 2021. "Risk assessment of the operations of maritime autonomous surface ships," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    3. Jessica Gurevitch & Julia Koricheva & Shinichi Nakagawa & Gavin Stewart, 2018. "Meta-analysis and the science of research synthesis," Nature, Nature, vol. 555(7695), pages 175-182, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nakashima, Takuya & Kureta, Rui & Khastgir, Siddartha, 2025. "Addressing systemic risks in autonomous maritime navigation: A structured STPA and ODD-based methodology," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 261(C).
    2. Kjeldstad, Børge & Kufoalor, D. Kwame Minde & Ulvensøen, Jon Herman & Agis, Jose Jorge Garcia & Kim, Hyungju & Vatn, Jørn, 2026. "Safety equivalence assessment for a small passenger ferry with a periodically uncrewed bridge," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
    3. BahooToroody, Ahmad & Abaei, Mohammad Mahdi & Banda, Osiris Valdez & Kujala, Pentti & De Carlo, Filippo & Abbassi, Rouzbeh, 2022. "Prognostic health management of repairable ship systems through different autonomy degree; From current condition to fully autonomous ship," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    4. Johansen, Thomas & Blindheim, Simon & Torben, Tobias Rye & Utne, Ingrid Bouwer & Johansen, Tor Arne & Sørensen, Asgeir J., 2023. "Development and testing of a risk-based control system for autonomous ships," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    5. Li, Xue & Oh, Poong & Zhou, Yusheng & Yuen, Kum Fai, 2023. "Operational risk identification of maritime surface autonomous ship: A network analysis approach," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 1-14.
    6. Antão, P. & Sun, S. & Teixeira, A.P. & Guedes Soares, C., 2023. "Quantitative assessment of ship collision risk influencing factors from worldwide accident and fleet data," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    7. Fan, Cunlong & Montewka, Jakub & Zhang, Di, 2022. "A risk comparison framework for autonomous ships navigation," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    8. Wang, Yang & Chen, Peng & Wu, Bing & Wan, Chengpeng & Yang, Zaili, 2022. "A trustable architecture over blockchain to facilitate maritime administration for MASS systems," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 219(C).
    9. Yang, Xue & Zhou, Tao & Utne, Ingrid Bouwer & Zhang, Wenjun, 2025. "A framework for quantification of coupling risk in the transition between operational modes of MASS," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 264(PB).
    10. Zhang, Yan & Wang, Yu-Hao & Zhao, Xu & Tong, Rui-Peng, 2023. "Dynamic probabilistic risk assessment of emergency response for intelligent coal mining face system, case study: Gas overrun scenario," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).
    11. Lu, Dehao & Liu, Liu & Bai, Yanling & An, Qiang & Cheng, Yongming & Huang, Guanhua, 2025. "Deficit irrigation alleviates the increase in soil salinity content in saline-alkali regions of China and improves irrigation water productivity: A meta-analysis," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 320(C).
    12. Wang, Yuhong & Li, Pengchang & Hong, Cheng & Yang, Zaili, 2025. "Causation analysis of ship collisions using a TM-FRAM model," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    13. Zhou, Yusheng & Li, Xue & Yuen, Kum Fai, 2022. "Holistic risk assessment of container shipping service based on Bayesian Network Modelling," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    14. Lukas Hafner & Maxime Pichon & Christophe Burucoa & Sophie H. A. Nusser & Alexandra Moura & Marc Garcia-Garcera & Marc Lecuit, 2021. "Listeria monocytogenes faecal carriage is common and depends on the gut microbiota," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-13, December.
    15. Guiyao Zhou & Nico Eisenhauer & Zhenggang Du & Manuel Esteban Lucas-Borja & Kaiyan Zhai & Miguel Berdugo & Huimin Duan & Han Wu & Shengen Liu & Daniel Revillini & Tadeo Sáez-Sandino & Hua Chai & Xuhui, 2025. "Fire-driven disruptions of global soil biochemical relationships," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.
    16. Kyle Morrison & Yefeng Yang & Coralie Williams & Lorenzo Ricolfi & Malgorzata Lagisz & Shinichi Nakagawa, 2025. "Mapping meta-analyses on organochlorine pesticides reveals low methodological quality," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 8(11), pages 1270-1279, November.
    17. Alexander L. Brown & Taisuke Imai & Ferdinand M. Vieider & Colin F. Camerer, 2024. "Meta-analysis of Empirical Estimates of Loss Aversion," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 62(2), pages 485-516, June.
    18. Chelouati, Mohammed & Boussif, Abderraouf & Beugin, Julie & El Koursi, El-Miloudi, 2023. "Graphical safety assurance case using Goal Structuring Notation (GSN) — challenges, opportunities and a framework for autonomous trains," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    19. Chang, Chia-Hsun & Kontovas, Christos & Yu, Qing & Yang, Zaili, 2021. "Risk assessment of the operations of maritime autonomous surface ships," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    20. Yudi Wu & Simeng Li & Gang Chen, 2024. "Hydrogels as water and nutrient reservoirs in agricultural soil: a comprehensive review of classification, performance, and economic advantages," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(10), pages 24653-24685, October.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jworld:v:5:y:2024:i:2:p:15-292:d:1385001. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager The email address of this maintainer does not seem to be valid anymore. Please ask MDPI Indexing Manager to update the entry or send us the correct address (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.