In recent years, the increasing size of PCTCs and rising traffic volumes have heightened the difficulty of ship handling. Additionally, according to NYK, the growing complexity of onboard equipment has increased the burden on crew members. Furthermore, nearly 70% of accidents during voyages are caused by human error.

Preventing such errors and streamlining onboard operations are essential for achieving safe navigation. Operating under crew supervision, this system automatically avoids collisions and groundings to support safe navigation. By assisting with tasks traditionally performed manually by navigators during watchkeeping - such as information gathering, situation analysis, and collision avoidance planning - it aims to reduce navigator workload and enhance safety.

Developed under the Nippon Foundation's Fully Autonomous Ship Program, MEGURI2040, the system utilizes AI-powered image recognition and automatic radar target analysis to gather surrounding information, analyse the situation, visualize collision risks, formulate evasion plans, and perform automatic steering. It can also be switched to conventional crew-operated steering at any time.

While advancements in satellite communication have improved ship-to-shore connectivity, communication within the ship itself remains limited to areas such as the bridge and living quarters. In critical locations such as engine rooms, decks, and cargo holds, accessing online manuals and documents, confirming trouble situations via real-time video, or communicating with shore-based medical facilities during medical emergencies can be difficult.

Furthermore, the ship's metal hull creates areas where transceivers used for onboard communication have poor reception, potentially hindering daily operations. To resolve these issues and enhance operational efficiency and safe navigation, NYK’s newbuilding will feature Wi-Fi access points throughout the entire ship, significantly improving the onboard communication environment.

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