Xin Hong Zhuan, the world's first intelligent ship that integrates remote control, autonomous sailing and teaching practice recently set sail from Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning province. Jointly developed by China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited and Dalian Maritime University (DMU), the vessel's intelligent capabilities are world leading.

A decade of tackling barriers

Intelligent sailing technology is key to intelligent vessels. Dalian has a comprehensive ship industrial system and leads the country in terms of enterprise scale, economic aggregate, R&D capacity and new product development. The Dalian Science and Technology Bureau and Dalian High-tech Industrial Zone began planning the development of intelligent sailing in 2015. Different sectors have been collating their research since then.

The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology and DMU teamed up to develop core chips and equipment for maritime communications and navigation, according to Yuan Chi, director of the Dalian Science and Technology Bureau.

Relying on the R&D advantages of DMU, Zhilong (Dalian) Marine Technology Co., Ltd. brought the shore-based "digital head" of Xin Hong Zhuan from lab to industrial application. The COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Dalian) Co., Ltd. took the lead in the development of an intelligent sailing system for ships.

A decade of hard work enabled the 4000-nautical-mile voyage of Xin Hong Zhuan. The vessel's voyage  is a highlight of China's smart shipping innovation, Yuan said, emphasizing "It takes 10 years to sharpen a sword."

Hardcore technology facilitates smart sailing

Xin Hong Zhuan is equipped with the country's first domestic smart sailing system for ships based on the ship-end e-sailing structure, according to Wang Jin, division chief for the commercialization of sci-tech achievements at the Dalian Science and Technology Bureau.

Connected with the comprehensive smart shore-based digital operation and control center, also the first of its kind in China, the system can coordinate the multi-domain work of underwater robots and smart vessels, Wang said.

Data pertaining to the ship's condition and equipment operation are captured by the 15,000 sensors installed in the vessel, and are seen on screens at the shore-based center.

Thanks to this center, when the sailing and controlling mode of the ship at sea changes, the shore-based navigator can remotely control sailing and steer the ship to shore, or the autonomous sailing mode can be switched on to enable the ship to recognize its route and avoid obstacles autonomously, said Yin Yong, professor at DMU and chairman of the board of Zhilong (Dalian) Marine Technology Co. Ltd.

There are more challenges to face in autonomous control of a vehicle at sea than on land, said Zeng Hong, a professor at DMU. Key technologies like AI models, development of the core system and application of sensing systems were given as examples.

Based on a comprehensive automation system, DMU built a digital base via a unified integration platform, ensuring deep integration of sailing, engine and electric systems. Extensive research on emergencies and risks of narrow channels has been conducted to enhance the capacity of risk identification.

Research and onboard practice

Xin Hong Zhuan is also a maritime experiment vessel, which will provide crucial support for research on the basic, pioneering and key technologies of intelligent sailing.

The first batch of trainees have boarded the ship and participated in practical training via the digital twin technology system developed by DMU. The digital twin technology can establish a high-fidelity numerical simulation model of the ship and highly realistic virtual scenes, Zeng said, adding that trainees can monitor and operate equipment in the digital twin ship.

Sun Feng, director of the R&D department of COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Dalian) Co., Ltd., said the digital twin technology reduced the time needed for maritime testing by more than half.

The Dalian Science and Technology Bureau will build the first mobile pilot test base for domestic ship equipment and a sea-based technology validation platform based on Xin Hong Zhuan, Wang said.

Through practical simulation and scenario-based application, the platform aims to attract domestic and international research teams to conduct verification of technical equipment in maritime communications and navigation and underwater robots, accelerating the transfer of sci-tech achievements to real productivity, Wang said.