The agreement is a precursor to the use of AI for future marine autonomous vessels.

Japanese shipping and transportation giant Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (K Line) and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (KHI) are collaborating on the development of an AI-based Marine Machinery Operation Support System that will use data analytics for optimum maintenance of onboard machinery. (K Line)

AI to keep marine machinery ticking over

The AI System, to be developed together with Preferred Networks, will enable conditions-based maintenance, machinery diagnostics, failure prediction, and provide optimal operations support.

Additional pay-offs include safer maritime transit on the high seas, as well as a better working environment for crew.

Prevention of engine failure, drawing up ship maintenance schedules, optimizing fuel consumption and control on emissions are other benefits expected from the AI.

The AI will be trained using the trove of multi-year data available with K Line on vessels and their machinery, and KHI’s shipbuilding technology.

The systems will first be installed on ships using diesel propulsion plants and then extended to steam and electrical propulsion systems.

How it will work

The AI will run on the ship as well as in the cloud. The onboard system will be running live and transmitting its data to the cloud.

In the cloud the master AI system will aggregate all the data from the various vessels.

“The system centrally uses them for further learning, allowing itself to become smarter and offer failure prediction and diagnostics as well as optimum operation support for any type of vessels,” said a joint statement from K Line and KHI.

An eye on future autonomous shipping

The learning from this system by K Line and KHI will be an invaluable input into the development of autonomous shipping vessels in the future, the companies said.

Earlier this month, Japan’s largest shipping company, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line), announced plans to have a container ship pilot itself from Tokyo Bay to Ise city, Mie Prefecture.

The 380 kilometer voyage will be the world’s first test of an autonomous ship in an area with heavy marine traffic.

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