Auto berthing project aids safety research

TOKYO-Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding Co., Ltd, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, and Akishima Laboratories partnered to complete a total of 54 auto berthing operations using a virtual pier set on the open water, gaining useful data for R&D on auto berthing systems.

The project was selected for Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism (MLIT)’s FY2018 autonomous vessel demonstration project. Before conducting the test, the team formulated the ship operation plan, test guidelines, and criteria for cancelling the operation ahead of time due to safety concerns, simultaneously completing a safety assessment under various phenomena by using the simulation environment.

Ferry test next

The team plans a demonstration test with a large-size coastal ferry in FY2019 after examining the development of ship operation control system and test methods to address issues including realisation of auto berthing control in consideration of vessel speed, course, and distance with sufficient safety margin, without making seafarers recognize risk; and realisation of appropriate manoeuvring control in consideration of the large-size ferry’s manoeuvring performance characteristics.

Other issues to be addressed include determination of definite criteria for making decisions of continue/stop on auto operation in consideration of events such as machinery and equipment failures that occur during auto operations and other phenomena such as sudden changes in surrounding environmental conditions; and determination of guidelines for the transition of ship operation from the system to the crew after the cancellation of the automatic operation considering safety and situation.