A partnership formed by Japanese firms Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), e5 Lab, and vessel operator Tokyo Cruise Ship Company have begun conducting proof-of-concept tests of a new autonomous navigation system for coastal vessels.
The system has been designed to perform functions including route planning, course control, speed control, and collision avoidance.
The catamaran tour boat Urban Launch 1 (pictured) and an unmanned surface vessel (USV) developed by MHI were used in the tests, which were conducted in the waters off Tokyo.
