Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line) has ordered a new car carrier outfitted with digital marine DX technology from Shinkai Toyohashi Shipbuilding.
The vessel will feature an advanced autonomous navigation system, a large-motion mitigation system, and a comprehensive onboard Wi-Fi network covering the entire vessel.
As informed, trials will be conducted during actual commercial voyages to verify the effectiveness of the new technology.
The car carrier, which will measure 199.95 meters in length with a beam of 38 meters, is set for delivery on March 31, 2026.
The company noted that as vessel sizes increase and maritime traffic volumes are rising, ship handling has become more complex, with nearly 70% of maritime incidents still linked to human error.
The autonomous navigation system set to feature on this vessel operates under crew supervision and is designed to support safe navigation by automatically avoiding collisions and groundings.
Developed under the Nippon Foundation’s Fully Autonomous Ship Program, MEGURI2040, this system utilizes AI-powered image recognition and automatic radar target analysis to gather surrounding information, analyze 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.
To combat issues like severe rolling that may lead to cargo shifting, the vessel will be fitted with a large-motion mitigation system. This system simulates vessel motion using current ship conditions and real-time radar wave data. It then recommends the optimal course and speed to the operator to minimize rolling.
Furthermore, the vessel will have Wi-Fi access points throughout the entire ship, in order to improve the onboard communication environment.
