As the technology of unmanned vehicle matures, it won’t be long until we’ll get to enjoy this cutting-edge way of traveling across the Earth in many different forms. Foreshadowing this new reality, Senseable City Lab from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and team “Roboat” from the Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions, Amsterdam have decided to take the lead with their development of the world’s first unmanned vessels.

These two teams have been working together, with help from researchers at Delft University of Technology and Wageningen University, as well as the Amsterdam Municipal Government, and the local water company Waternet. “Roboat” is a five-year-long project that aims to develop unmanned shipping technology. They also intend on hosting an on-water test demonstration during 2017. Carlo Ratti, one of the team’s leaders, said; “We want to start testing autonomous boats in an urban context—an unprecedented result which could potentially give us useful insights for all those cities and metropolis facing ports, rivers, or waterways.”

According to the team’s vision, unmanned boats will not only carry people and goods but will also be equipped with two sets of water quality sensors to gather chemical data of the water while it is under power. These measurements will help scientists understand the health of the population and the environmental quality of the city. The unmanned boats can also be interconnected to create temporary bridges, platforms, and even serve as a large stage for concerts. Now, not only does autonomy bring convenience to life, but it also enables the creation of a remarkable city ambience.