Norway takes lead in race to build autonomous cargo ships

Using GPS, radar, cameras and sensors, two Norwegian companies have designed the world’s first crewless, autonomously operated ship.

It’s dubbed the “Tesla of the Seas,” but it’s official name is the Yara Birkeland and if it sets sale, the Birkeland would deliver fertilizer on short trips, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Development of the vessel is estimated to cost $25 million, about triple the price of a conventional container ship of its size, but backers say without need for fuel or crew it could cut operating costs by 90 percent.

The Birkeland is being jointly developed by agriculture firm Yara International and Kongsberg Gruppen, which builds guidance systems for civilian and military uses.

Read more from The Wall Street Journal.