ClassNK has awarded approval in principle for the Advanced Maneuvering Assistant System, the core technology for the autonomous navigation system developed by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen Kaisha, Japan Radio Co. and YDK Technologies Co.
The Advanced Maneuvering Assistant System automatically generates routes for avoiding a collision with other ships. Referencing regulations to prevent collisions it suggests up to two alternative routes that allow the ship to return to its original course within one hour.
The system has been used in sea trails on board the large RoRo cargo ship, Hokuren Maru No.2, as part of the Joint Technological Development Program for the Demonstration test of Fully Autonomous Ships, under the MEGURI 2040 Fully Autonomous Ship Project run by the Nippon Foundation.
ClassNK carried out its review of the conceptual design of the system based on its ‘Guidelines for Automated/Autonomous Operation on ships’.
