Participation in the MLIT R&D Support Projects
- Proactive ICT Utilization for Safer Vessel Operation -
April 03, 2017
TOKYO-Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Junichiro Ikeda) announced today that its "Project for Establishing a System to Visualize onboard environments utilizing ICT" was selected by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) as part of the ministry's projects for "2017 MLIT R&D Support Projects for Advanced Safety Technology of Vessels."
The project covers parts of the technologies used in MOL's R&D project, "ISHIN NEXT - MOL SMART SHIP PROJECT -" (Note 1) , announced in November 2016, which aims to reduce workplace accidents onboard, reduce the workload of seafarers, and enhance crew operation and technical skills. This is the second consecutive year MOL has been selected for MLIT's project (Note 2). These projects are also undertaken as joint research studies with Nippon Kaiji Kyokai(ClassNK).
The MOL Group strives to be the company of choice in the logistics business, providing services tailored for their customers that make full use of the possibilities ICT offers (Note 3). These include leading-edge technological developments such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), which have outstanding potential in the logistics business.
Outline:
"Project for Establishing a System to Visualize Onboard Environments utilizing ICT"
MOL will enhance safer operation, improving the safety awareness and skills of crewmembers, by developing:
(1)the health and safety management of crew through the use of wearable devices;
and
(2)the education of crew and skill transfer using head-mount displays, virtual reality (VR) / augmented reality (AR) technologies, and remote support systems for use during maintenance and repairs.
| (Note 1) | For details, please refer to the 24 November, 2016 press release: MOL Launches "ISHIN NEXT - MOL SMART SHIP PROJECT -" |
| (Note 2) | Marine weather information is currently observed, recorded, and transmitted manually, but this project encompasses developing systems that allow for automatic observation, recording, and transmission. This will increase the accuracy of marine weather forecasts by drastically increasing the number of observation data points, contributing to safer vessel operation. |
| (Note 3) | ICT stands for Information and Communication Technology, which adds the dimension of telecommunications to Information Technology (IT). |