The impact of redundancy on reliability in machinery systems on unmanned ships

Unmanned and autonomous cargo ships may transform the maritime industry, but there are issues regarding reliability of machinery which must first be solved. This paper examines effect voyage length on with redundancy unmanned ships. The limiting effects dependent failures improvement through use is also explored. A strong relationship between probability independent in systems shown. Increased can easily counteract this negative long voyages reliability. Dependent failures, however, not affected by increased redundancy. contribution total failure found to exceed from if even a slight proportion dependent. has serious implications for where possibility corrective maintenance very limited consequences mechanical on, e.g. propulsion therefore expected more severe than conventionally manned Redundancy itself enough provide required operation other solutions found.