Weathernews and ocean shipper Nippon Yusen are developing services using Internet of Things technology that will support smooth, cost-efficient sailing for marine transport vessels.
Satellites will relay data from ships, which would otherwise be out of reach from terrestrial base stations. Recent improvements in satellite technology are boosting speeds and cutting costs.
The system in the works by Weathernews, a Japanese meteorological information provider, will collect data on engine rotation speeds, fuel consumption and surrounding weather and sea conditions via sensors and cameras.
The company will use image-recognition technology jointly developed with the University of Oklahoma. It will also assemble information regarding shipping routes and congestion at destination ports.
The artificial intelligence being developed will analyze the data, taking into account such priorities as speed, safety and fuel consumption. The system will then advise the ships to modify speed or course in a way that will minimize cost.
Weathernews provides similar services to about 3,000 ships daily via nonautomated means, with fees starting at hundreds of thousands of yen (100,000 yen equals $846) per trip.
Nippon Yusen group company Monohakobi Technology Institute is developing software that gives color-coded alerts indicating the possibility of serious accidents, such as fires stemming from the engines and generators.
Sensors installed on engines and other equipment will relay information to land hourly for analysis. The system, which is expected to cut maintenance costs, began dry runs in about 30 ships in November.
Source: Nikkei
