Kawasaki Heavy Industries announced on February 19 that it has begun development of a "next-generation optimal operation support service" commissioned by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line).
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The system will comprehensively consider wave and ocean current forecasts, ship performance and condition, and voyage plans to simulate and propose the safest and most economical route to the destination, with the aim of starting operations in 2027.
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The "Next-Generation Optimal Flight Support Service" provides an intuitive, easy-to-use, and practical user interface.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries will deepen its hull characteristic models, which are customized for each individual vessel and developed in-house, by training them with sailing performance data, thereby improving the accuracy of simulation estimations for route proposals.
The service also provides a function that allows users to quantitatively evaluate and analyze fuel consumption reductions and simulation accuracy by comparing actual routes with optimal routes calculated by this service.
Furthermore, it incorporates Kawasaki Kisen's safety operation policy and achieves route optimization in accordance with it. It also includes a function that warns via push notification if a voyage plan exceeds the operational constraints defined by Kawasaki Kisen.
Against the backdrop of a serious labor shortage in the shipping industry and the challenges facing Japan's maritime transport, which relies on sea transport for almost all of its trade volume, Kawasaki Heavy Industries will combine the technologies it has cultivated in its shipbuilding and marine propulsion businesses with the latest IT technologies to provide unique solutions. It also aims to reduce CO2 emissions through efficient operations.
