~ Concluding Contract in R&D Grant Program Related to Unmanned Vessels with the Nippon Foundation ~
In participation with Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding and also Furuno Electric, the MOL Group has actually been creating modern technologies for independent cruising, and also strategy to perform demo trips of their independent cruising procedure system, from unberthing to berthing. With the assistance from Nippon Foundation, the demo examinations will certainly begin in 2020.
The demo trips will certainly be performed with an MOL Ferry- owned/operated massive seaside ferryboat and also a seaside containership had by Imoto Corporation and also run by Imoto Lines, Ltd., making use of bordering cognitive innovation based upon Furuno Electric- established and also had sensing units and also Mitsui E&S- developed/owned ship managing for evasion and also vehicle berthing/unberthing modern technologies, after MOL Marine performs independent features making use of a simulator. In enhancement, mooring assistance innovation making use of a drone, established by Sekido, will certainly be presented in the demo trip of the seaside containership.
MOL will certainly supervise the whole program and also perform threat analyses, bring into play its collected proficiency in ship procedures administration.
MOL is functioning to recognize independent vessels to attain 2 objectives– additional improvement of risk-free procedure by utilizing brand-new underlying modern technologies, and also decrease of crewmembers’ work.
Coastal delivery, the target of the program, is a crucial element of Japan’s logistics system, transferring regarding 40% of the country’s residential freight and also regarding 80% of fundamental commercial assets on a ton-kilometer basis. However, the costal delivery field is greatly based on an aging labor force.
MOL will certainly establish functional modern technologies and also continue with demo trips making use of 2 vessels of various kinds– a 749-ton containership and also a huge (10,000-ton and also) cars and truck ferryboat. These are 2 of the significant kinds of vessels associated with seaside delivery, and also run in a serious workplace. The business thinks that independent cruising can attend to safety and security concerns and also decrease human mistakes, which add to around 70% of aquatic crashes.
MOL has actually continued with innovative assistance of risk-free procedure and also decrease of its ecological influence, as laid out in the “ISHIN NEXT – MOL SMART SHIP PROJECT -,” which started in November 2016, and also intends to come to be clients’ front runner as a logistics companion by using ICT innovation to enhance solution top quality and also effectiveness.
(Consortium M
(Consortium Members and also Major Roles)
| Company Name | Major Roles |
| Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. | Overall control, threat analysis |
| Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (President: Tetsuro Koga; Headquarters: Chuo- ku, Tokyo) | Develop “judgement” and also “operation” features (Autonomous ship handling for evasion, independent ship handling in port, vehicle berthing and also un-berthing) |
| Furuno Electric Co, Ltd. (President: Yukio Furuno; Headquarters: Nishinomiya- shi, Hyogo Prefecture) | Develop “recognition” feature (Integration of cognitive sensing units, berthing assistance sensing unit) |
| Imoto Corporation (President: Takayuki Imoto; Headquarters: Kobe- shi, Hyogo Prefecture) | Provide demo vessel and also crewmembers, growth of procedure strategy |
| Sekido Co,Ltd (President: Takayuki Oshita; Headquarters: Kunitachi- shi, Tokyo) | Develop mooring assistance innovation (Using drone to go down of a heaving line from jetty) |
| MOL Ferry Co., Ltd (President: Akio Ohe; Headquarters: Chuo- ku, Tokyo) | Provide vessel for demo examination and also crewmembers, prep work of vessel procedure strategy |
| MOL Marine Co.,Ltd (President: Toshikazu Inaoka; Headquarters: Minato- ku, Tokyo) | Prepare simulation of independent ship managing for evasion, independent ship handling in port, vehicle berthing and also un-berthing |
(Outline of Demonstration Vessels)
| Vessel | Type | Route | Schedule (Note 1) |
| Sunflower Shiretoko (had by MOL Ferry) | Coastal ferryboat | Oarai/ Tomakomai | 2020 ~ 2021 |
| Mikage (had by Imoto Corporation) | Coastal containership | Tsuruga/ Sakaiminato | 2021 ~ 2022 |
(Note 1) The agreement duration is from February 15, 2020 to February 14, 2021. Availability of the program connection after the agreement duration relies on the progression of the screening.
