Overview
ISO/TS 23860:2022 - Ships and marine technology - Vocabulary related to autonomous ship systems - is a Technical Specification from ISO that establishes a harmonized vocabulary for autonomous ship systems. It covers terminology used for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) as referenced by the IMO and also applies to similar vessel types used on inland waterways. Published as a technical specification, it addresses a rapidly evolving field by providing consistent definitions to support research, design, regulation and industry communication.
Key topics
The document centers on clear, standardized terms and definitions. Major topics include:
- Fundamental definitions: differences between automatic, automation, autonomy, and autonomous.
- Autonomous ship system: scope of the full system (onboard and off‑ship elements) required to perform a ship’s operation or voyage.
- Components: terminology for autonomous onboard controller, autonomous remote controller, connectivity, local sensor systems, automatic port/offshore services, and planned response services.
- Operations vocabulary: concepts such as operational envelope, tolerable event, fallback state/function/space, and system control tasks.
- Operator control modes: four operator modes defined - monitoring, strategic control, tactical control, and direct control - describing classes of human or remote-centre actions.
- Structure of the TS: Clause 3 subdivides the vocabulary (3.1–3.4). Informative Annex A outlines components and system context; Annex B covers operational envelope and control tasks. The TS contains no normative references.
Practical applications
ISO/TS 23860:2022 provides practical value by:
- Enabling consistent terminology in technical specifications, safety cases, test plans and regulatory submissions for autonomous ships.
- Supporting interoperability between shipborne systems, remote control centres (RCCs), ports and shore services through a shared vocabulary.
- Helping classification societies, regulators and operators to define operational envelopes and fallback strategies in a common language.
- Assisting procurement, training, insurance and legal documentation where precise definitions of autonomy, control modes and system components are required.
Who should use this
- Shipbuilders and system integrators designing autonomous ship systems
- Remote control centre operators and port authorities
- Classification societies, flag states and maritime regulators
- Researchers, standards writers and test laboratories working on MASS and inland autonomous vessels
- Insurers, legal teams and ship operators preparing operational or safety documentation
Related standards
- References IMO preliminary MASS definitions (informative in the TS).
- The TS cites inspiration from SAE J3016 (operational design domain concepts) and aligns terminology with established ISO/IEC terminology databases.
