MAYFLOWER TRIMARAN - 1. The solar-powered research boat will aim to traverse the Atlantic Ocean in 2021 with no humans on board. 2. Sea trials are due to commence off the south coast of England in late 2020. 3. The Mayflower was officially unveiled on September 16th 2020, the 400th anniversary of the original Mayflower departure.

The Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) project is only possible because of the team that makes it happen.

Rui Hu is part of the IBM research crew and a shipmate based in Zurich, Switzerland.

Her role on MAS is in the development of the AI engine of an Electronic tongue (the Hypertaste sensor array) to assist oceanographers characterize sea water, to expand insights in understanding the ocean ecosystem and ocean health, through continually 'tasting' water samples by our sensors along the way.

Rui's two year vision for MAS is a fine scaled understanding of the ocean ecosystem through big data of multiple information sources. She loves MAS because of the multi-discipline collaboration, and contributing to something very important and interesting.

She worries that MAS finds out what they have done, what is up to come, and that it might be a bit too late to make a difference. We doubt that. It is never too late to try and change from unsustainable to sustainable practices - and the more information we have at our fingertips, the better.

For the transatlantic voyage, Rui would put her phone or a smart device, to record audio, video. Together with the other information sources (temperature, weather etc.) to generate art pieces from the experience (using AI to create a painting based environmental sound, temperature, etc.). Being an art piece that reflect the environment and presumably the spirit of the adventure.

THE PEOPLE (TEAM) A - Z