STURGEON BAY — As the number of driverless, autonomous vessels continues to grow on the Great Lakes, the U.S. Coast Guard says boaters need to be on the lookout.
In a safety bulletin posted a week ago, the Coast Guard urged boaters to be aware of the new technology in the form of autonomous unmanned watercraft.
These watercraft are being used by scientists to identify toxic algae blooms near drinking water intakes, monitor fish populations and chart navigable channel depths.
These vessels operate on the surface, underwater, or both and each vessel differs drastically in autonomy, anti-collision capability and maneuverability.
The safest approach is to regard these as hazards to navigation and once sighted- make all possible attempts to keep clear.
Some characteristics of these AUWs are the following:
– A flashing white or yellow light
– Retro-reflective markings
– Markings that identify craft as UNMANNED
– Yellow or Orange paint scheme
– Radar reflector and/or Automatic Identification System (AIS)
