Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) reports that it has upgraded the augmented reality (AR) navigation support system installed on 24 of its very large crude carriers (VLCCs) to add new functionality supporting improved situational awareness.
The AR system was first announced at the end of 2017 and installed on two newbuilds delivered in 2018, before a wider roll-out the following year.
The technology was jointly developed with Furuno and automatically visually displays borders between deep-sea areas where vessels can navigate safely and shallower areas that may pose risks.
The previous version of the system required manual configuration to display shallow areas, but the upgraded version will provide an automatic continuous display of the Safety Contour in red, yellow, or orange (as defined by the user).
The AR technology is installed on 24 MOL-operated VLCCs, with the company planning to expand to more vessels in the future. Trials are currently taking place on ships in MOL’s energy transport fleet, including LNG carriers, as well as on dry bulkers.
