News Japan to run first autonomous passenger ferry

[thomas]

The Nippon Foundation said on Wednesday that a ferry running between Okayama and Shōdoshima would start using technology that allows it to navigate autonomously, describing it as the first of its kind worldwide. The vessel, the Olympia Dream Seto, which links Shin-Okayama Port with Tonoshō on the Kagawa side, was due to shift to semi-autonomous operation from Thursday after the authorities approved the installation of the new system.

Olympia Dream Seto ferry in Shin-Okayama port (photo credit: Kyodo)

Mitsuyuki Unno, an executive director at the foundation that addresses issues in shipping and other fields, said the initiative could "become one of the solutions" to Japan's worsening labor shortage and ensure transportation to remote inhabited islands. The ferry gently pulled away from the pier and proceeded through calm waters in a demonstration. It also showed its ability to detect a ship ahead and reroute autonomously. Kokusai Ryobi Ferry Co., which operates Olympia Dream Seto, said it aims to make full use of autonomous navigation functions once crew members become more familiar with the system. The initiative is part of a broader project to commercialize unmanned vessels involving the Nippon Foundation and more than 50 other companies. If realized, it is expected to help stabilize logistics and reduce maritime accidents.

Three other vessels, including a container ship, are also scheduled to begin commercial operations using the functions by April 2026.

Passenger ferry in western Japan to run autonomously in world 1st - The Mainichi

OKAYAMA, Japan (Kyodo) -- A passenger ferry operating between Okayama and Shodoshima Island in western Japan will begin using technology enabling auto

mainichi.jp