The UK has launched world-first research to enable Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASSs) to read, interpret, and act upon official navigational information. Ths information was previously only usable by human mariners.
Large language model
The eight-month project will see Marine AI finetune its baseline large language model (LLM) to process ADMIRALTY Sailing Directions (SDs) information and Radio Navigation Warnings (RNWs), currently written in natural language for human interpretation, and feed this structured information into the GuardianAI software suite for autonomous control.
At present, MASS rely on human operators to interpret text-heavy navigation data, often described in non-standard nautical language and distributed through legacy systems. This project will address the challenges posed by unstructured text, legacy broadcast formats, and the lack of machine-readability, by retraining a bespoke large language model (LLM) and developing supporting AI agents to structure the data before it is fed into GuardianAI’s tactical engine and human–machine interface.
By solving these challenges, the research will allow autonomous vessels to operate more independently, responding immediately to navigational warnings and Sailing Directions without waiting for human interpretation.
On-water demonstration in 2026
Oliver Thompson, technical director at Marine AI: ‘This is the first time anyone has attempted to process ADMIRALTY Sailing Directions and Radio Navigation Warnings in a way that an autonomous control system can act upon. By proving this capability on the water, we are closing one of the biggest gaps in MASS autonomy and taking a major step toward safe, fully automated operations.’
‘Working with Marine AI allows us to push the boundaries of how autonomous systems can use official hydrographic information,’ adds Mark Casey, Head of Research, Design and Innovation at the UKHO Hydrographic Office. ‘The outcomes will not only support the safety of lives at sea, but also feed directly into the development of the IHO’s S-100 framework, ensuring that UKHO data continues to set the global benchmark for safe navigation in both crewed and uncrewed vessels.’
National testbed for MASS tech
Autonomous shipping is a key priority for the UK maritime sector, with Plymouth already established as a national testbed for MASS technology. Demonstrating that uncrewed vessels can understand and act on the same official navigation information used by seafarers could:
