Pilot Captain AI with KPN (EN)

As of today, a KPN water taxi is sailing on the Rotterdam Maas. Currently with a captain, but with the ambition to allow the boat to sail autonomously in the long term, on the KPN network.

The water taxi was officially christened today by Judith Bokhove, the Rotterdam alderman for Youth, Mobility and Language and Carolien Nijhuis, Internet of Things director at KPN. It is therefore not just a boat, but an innovation project in which the water taxi will eventually have to sail fully autonomously by means of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and IoT (Internet of Things). KPN works together with various partners, including the Municipality of Rotterdam, Spring Holding (owner of the Watertaxi Rotterdam) and Captain AI, a startup that develops software to enable safe and autonomous sailing. The water taxi can be recognized by the KPN logo on the boat.

The smart water taxi is equipped with high-quality technology that records and analyzes all maneuvers of the water taxi on the Nieuwe Maas over a longer period of time. The aim is to be able to sail fully autonomously within a few years so that you can safely find your way across the river on certain routes. In the process towards this, the collected data will already make an important contribution to making water transport in Rotterdam safer. Two technological innovations come together here: AI and IoT. In its role as a supplier of connectivity – and IoT and data platforms, KPN is involved in securely connecting various external data sources.

Passengers can simply use this water taxi, which – with the driver – travels along on the existing routes and is therefore becoming increasingly ‘smarter’.