Japanese shipping major Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) is teaming up with compatriots Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding and Weathernews to launch its Fleet Optimal Control Unified System (FOCUS), a ship operation data project that is the next chapter in MOL’s bid to pioneer smart shipping solutions.
“With information and communication technology (ICT) such as IoT and Big Data rapidly expanding, and new possibilities opening up for ICT applications aboard vessels, on shore, and in between, the three companies decided to undertake this task as a core project to promote the use and application of ICT,” MOL stated in a release today.
Detailed voyage and engine data on actual voyages will be collected from about 150 vessels in operation and stored in a cloud-based data platform to develop applications for advanced ship operation monitoring and propulsion performance analysis that draws upon all three companies’ technology and know-how.
Through FOCUS, the three companies aim to develop applications, which use actual operational data, such as condition based maintenance (CBM), which relies on engine status diagnosis and failure sign diagnosis technologies, realising “visualization at sea” by transmitting voice and visual information of vessels in operation to the shore side, optimising operation by applying artificial intelligence (AI) technology, and enhancing shipmanagement by applying digital twin technology.
