The ship was in the midst of a three-week journey, during which it was gathering data about the ocean to help scientists understand key global issues affecting ocean health.
Powered by artificial intelligence, the Mayflower was on day three of its trans-Atlantic voyage when it returned back to England to fix a mechanical problem, according to a published report.
Marine research organization ProMare said it made the decision to return to base “to investigate and fix a minor mechanical issue,” the Associated Press reported.
On Monday, a recovery team reached the 50-foot vessel to make the necessary repairs, the Maritime Executive reported.
The ship was in the midst of a three-week journey. During the voyage, the vessel was gathering data about the ocean to help scientists understand key global issues affecting ocean health including ocean acidification, microplastics and marine mammal conservation, the Maritime Executive reported.
The Mayflower, built by IBM along with ProMare, hopes to revolutionize marine research. The prototype vessel is part of a program to develop fully autonomous AI systems and applications for use in a variety of industries such as shipping, oil and gas, telecommunications, security and defense, fishing, and aquaculture, a report said.
The ship departed from Plymouth, England, on June 15 and is headed to Provincetown, Cape Cod before before making its way to Plymouth, Massachusetts.
If the Mayflower completes its three-week voyage it will be the “largest autonomous vessel to cross the Atlantic,” the AP reported.
In only two days' time before the mechanical mishap, the Mayflower had covered more than 250 nautical miles on its 3,800-mile voyage, the Maritime Executive reported.
