Paper Title
Autonomous Control of Tugboats and Barges; Unique Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract
Significant developments in autonomous and self-steering vehicle technology have already begun to spread into the maritime sector, with the first autonomous commercial cargo ship being expected to launch later this year. This paper presents an outline for what may be the next application in the marine sector, autonomous control of tugboats and barges and discusses similarities and differences compared to vehicular and shipboard self-driving systems. A plan for implementation is presented, along with opportunities that may arise in the future. Keywords - Autonomous ships, self-driving vessels, tugboats, barges, self-steering