Liam Williams, maritime engineering student at the Rotterdam Mainport Institute, recently presented AutoCaptain—an autonomous vessel developed in just three months—as part of the 3rd Bachmann Technology Symposium in Hamburg earlier this year.
The project, driven by personal curiosity and a hands-on approach, was built with support from industry professionals and showcases the potential of student-led innovation in maritime autonomy. Wiliams emphasizes that developing autonomous systems does not have to be costly or overly complex, and defines autonomy as “active decision making in untrained situations.”
In the interview, he reflects on his experience, the collaborative spirit of the industry, and why he believes maritime is more open to innovation than commonly perceived. He is currently expanding on this work with a second version of AutoCaptain.
