- Q: What is your current research topic?
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We are working on a "human-centered ship-handling support system," with a particular focus on automatic docking and undocking control.
- Q: What motivated you to start researching this?
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- For my graduation research in my fourth year at this university, I actually created an autopilot system for a ship and operated the university's ship. I found it so much fun that it prompted me to embark on the path to research.
- Q: What is interesting and rewarding about your research?
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It's purely fun to see a large ship move automatically with my own program. In the automatic docking and undocking control that I'm currently working on, the power of the control actuators such as the rudder and propellers is small compared to the size of the ship, so maneuvering is extremely difficult. A car responds instantly when you turn the steering wheel, but a ship takes time to react after you turn the rudder, so you have to look ahead while taking into account the effects of wind and waves. Furthermore, ships don't have brakes, so they are controlled on the assumption that they will stop when docking, but the more you slow down, the less maneuverable they become. With all that in mind, using sensors to predict what will happen next and enabling control with a program is difficult, which is exactly what makes it rewarding.
- Q: What kind of social impact can you expect from your research?
Please tell me about short-term (1-2 years from now) and long-term (up to 10 years from now) plans.
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In the short term, we are working with Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding, which is working on automatic docking and undocking as part of the Nippon Foundation's unmanned ship project "MEGURI2040." This project aims for 2040% of ships operating in Japan to be unmanned by 50, and prior to that, it is planned to put the program on an actual ship and operate it in 2025, and the development of the program for this is currently in its final stages. We also conducted a demonstration experiment in 2022, but this time we are taking on a more difficult experiment with a different type of ship.
In the long term, we believe that an automated ship navigation system, including automatic docking and undocking, can contribute to resolving issues such as crew shortages and aging crew, as well as the associated need to pass on skills. Simplifying ship operation through programming will enable safer ship operation. Rather than aiming for unmanned operation, we place importance on the perspective of providing support through control so that ship operators can operate with peace of mind. - Q: Which SDGs can your research contribute to?
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We are contributing to "Goal 14: Protect and sustainably use the ocean."
Many ship accidents occur when ships are docked, and some of these have a negative impact on the environment due to oil spills, etc., so we believe that reducing marine accidents will directly contribute to environmental protection. - Q: What is the significance of conducting research at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology?
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- Automatic ship control must be developed by engineers who understand ship operation, and in that sense, I think there is great significance in conducting research at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology.
- Q: What are your priorities and policies when conducting research?
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- Our laboratory has a policy of "system development centered on the human user." Systems are meaningless if they are not used in the field, so we always aim to develop systems that take practicality and human operability into consideration.
