Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

Safety Policy Division, Maritime BureauMinistry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), Japan

Introduction of a phased approachto build future regulatory frameworks for MASS

Tomotsugu NOMA

International Workshop on Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships and IMO regulationsMonday, 14 May 2018, IMO Headquarters

Today’s Contents

１． Japan’s view on MASS

２．Regulatory Framework for MASS

３．Conclusion

Today’s Contents

１． Japan’s view on MASS

２．Regulatory Framework for MASS

３．Conclusion

1-1 What is MASS? and What for?

Source: Japan Ship Technology Research Association

Maritime

Safety

Economic

Benefits

Working

ConditionWhat is MASS? and What for?

1-2 Maritime Safety

Human factors8327 ships

77%

Unavoidable factors

2549 ships23%

Inadequate watchkeeping2235 ships

20%

Inappropriate manoeuvring1432 ships

13%

Inappropriate handling of machinery1271 ships

12%Inadequate maintenance of ship equipment

987 ships9%

Carelessness about weather

condition623 ships

6%

Other human errors

1779 ships16%

Material or structural defects513 ships

5%

Other unavoidable factors2036 ships

19%

Cause analysis of marine accidents related to manoeuvring (Investigation result of Japan Coast Guard)

・Human error in situation-awareness and decision-making accounts for a high

proportion of causes among casualties occurred in Japan

1-3 Working Conditions

Watch keeping, Manoeuvring, Cargo monitoring,

Maintenance of engines and other equipment,

Berthing and Mooring,

Administrative burdens(Recordbook&Logbook),

etc.

It is not a single task for seafarers to operate a ship…

1-4 Economic Benefits

Marine accidents will cause huge variety of economic losses

➢Opportunity Loss caused by machinery plant trouble, etc.

➢Direct Loss caused by sinking, grounding, collision, etc.

➢Damage to a third party caused by marine pollution, etc.

It is expected to reduce economic losses by followings:

✓ Introduction of maneuvering support/remote control technologies

which may reduce marine accidents caused by human errors

✓ Introduction of technologies to prevent vessel machinery plant

trouble which may reduce opportunity loss

Improve economy by MASS technologies

Today’s Contents

１． Japan’s view on MASS

２．Regulatory Framework for MASS

３．Conclusion

◼ From technology development perspective, ships will make evolution

gradually from conventional ships towards MASS

◼ In foreseeable future, such shiptype as bulker, tanker and container ship

would be still be manned

Conventional Ship

MASS at Early Phase

MASS at Developed Phase

2-1 What is a phased approach? and why?

・New technologies are introduced

to ships as decision support systems・Some of such system / Remote

control officer can perform specific

action upon seafarers’ approval

・Autonomous systems /

Remote control officer can

perform specific action without

seafarers’ approval

For the limited sea area, special purposes

or very small sized ships, “full-unmanned

operation” could be technologically and

socially feasible

2-2 Examples of MASS at Early and Developed Phases

Task Early Phase Developed Phase

Watch-

keeping and

maneuverin

g

Decision Support System (based on land-to-

ship communication *)

➢ Analyze, at the onshore control center, the

transmitted onboard data (visual and radar

images and data from other navigational

equipment), combining externally collected

data (weather and sea conditions, VTS

information at the congested areas)

➢ Assist the onboard officers in making optimum

decisions by the analysis results via stress-

free interface (audio, Mixed Reality)

➢ Under limited circumstances, provide a

remote controlled navigation upon the

approval by onboard officers

Advanced Decision Support and Autonomous

Navigation System (based on land-to-ship

communication*) (“the System”, hereafter)

➢ Provide enhanced analysis and sophisticated

decision support with the onboard data with

higher details and precisions through

advanced sensors such as LIDAR.

➢ Under wider circumstances, provide automatic

maneuvering

Enabling, basically, Bridge–Zero with

different levels of involvement of onboard

personnel, for example:

• Officer stand-by on bridge

• Onboard personnel for quick decisions at

the request by the System

• Onboard personnel only for emergency

* The system could function independently without land-to-ship communication in certain conditions

It is difficult to identify one uniform image of each phase, therefore, followings

are one example of images to consider necessary amendments at each phase

2-3 Examples of MASS at Early and Developed Phases

Task Early Phase Developed Phase

Berthing

and

Mooring

Partial / Full automatic berthing with high-precision

positioning and 3-dimensional map of the berth/pier through

the Advanced Decision Support and Autonomous

Navigation System

• Large ships: using multiple tug boats with remote control

(networking by onshore System)

• Small or medium-sized ships (with CPP and bow

thrusters): automatic maneuvering by the System

onboard

Partially automatic mooring by the System onboard

Maintena

nce

Support System (based on land-to-ship

communication)

➢ Monitor conditions of the main engine

and other principal equipment and

transmit the data to onshore

➢ Analyze the obtained data with the

historical records of failures and other

relevant information

➢ Advice maintenance operation to

onboard engineers, identifying possible

engine/equipment failures

Advanced Support System (based on land-to-ship

communication)

➢ Perform the same function as the early phase while the

scope of the System is enhanced to cover all onboard

equipment

➢ Exercise planned and preventive maintenance at the

next call of port; substantial reduction of onboard

maintenance/repair works

It is difficult to identify one uniform image of each phase, therefore, followings

are one example of images to consider necessary amendments at each phase

2-4 Current regulatory frameworks

Pollution Damage

Seafarers

Master

2.Safety, Security, Environment

（SOLAS, ISPS, MARPOL)

1.Nationality, Registry, Measurement

(Tonnage Convention)

6.Traffic rules （COLREG）

Ship Owner

3.Seafarers （STCW）

5.Authority/duty of Master

（Each Conventions）

employer-employee Ownership/

Management

Third PartyContract parties

Shipyards Shipper

Civil liability

Insurer

4. Mariner's Labour (MLC)

Regulations related to Ships

Each subject related to ships’ operation

7.Liability

（LLMC, CLC, etc.）

8.Others

（FAL, Hague-Visby, etc.）

Financial institution

Contract

Criminal liability

Cargo Damage

Ship Accidents

resulting in injury

or deaths, and

damages by

violation

Ship owners have

strict liability, but

compensation is

limited

Compensation

for cargo shifting

to shipper

Examples of liabilities

Order

※Under Convention, ships are

required to comply with rules, but,

actually shipowners, Masters and

Crew need to comply.

※

✓ To operate a ship, it is required to comply with variety of regulations related to e.g. safety, security, environment protection, labour, civil liability and compensation.

✓ It is assumed that the measures to be taken to accommodate MASS would be varied depending on a phase

Related ConventionsMatters to be considered (examples)

Early Phase Developed Phase

SOLAS

⚫Performance standards for

remote control equipment

⚫The location of installing visual and

audible alarm

⚫The framework of fire-fighting according

to manning level

SOLAS (ISPS Code)- ⚫Proper security measures according to

manning level

MARPOL, OPRC, OPRC/HNS -

⚫Emergency response to Oil/HNS spills

to be taken by onboard personnel

according to manning level

STCW

⚫Training and certificate

requirements for remote control

officer

⚫The training and certificate

requirements for seafarers to correspond

to Bridge Zero operation

COLREG -

⚫The requirement of a proper look-out

by sight and hearing

⚫A means of recognition of ships under

autonomous operation to other ships (e.g.

lights and signage)

LLMC, CLC, Fund Convention,

Bunker Convention, HNS

Convention-

⚫Liability of accidents during

autonomous operation or remote control

2-5 Matters to be considered (examples)

2-6 Regulatory Framework for Early Phase

Covered by ??

LLMC

MLC

STCW

SOLAS

MARPOL

CORLEG

Existing Regulations

Interim Guidelines

• There are several technologies for early phase, but these

technologies are not uniform

• It is difficult to establish prescriptive requirements

• Interim Guidelines which use risk analysis can cover these

technologies

2-7 Regulatory Framework for Developed Phase

LLMC

MLC

STCW

SOLAS

MARPOL

CORLEG

Existing Regulations

Interim Guidelines

Specific Regulatory Framework

• Current regulatory framework would be barrier to use MASS

• Depending on the experience gained from Early Phase,

separate specific regulatory framework should be considered to

accommodate MASS at Developed Phase

2-8 Way forward to MASS

1. In parallel with regulatory scoping exercise, develop interim

Guidelines

2. Upon a risk analysis based on interim Guidelines, new

technologies can be introduced to ship

3. Establish Experience Building Phase (EBP) to promote remote

control systems and autonomous systems, and gain experience

and knowledge from these systems during EBP

4. Verify the development of technologies and experience and

knowledge from EBP

5. Based on the result of verification, identify and take the further

action

-2020 2020-

2-9 Way forward to MASS

Scoping Exercise

Develop interim

Guidelines

Experience Building

Phase (EBP)

Verify the experience

from EBP

New technologies introduced

Identify and

take further

actions

Today’s Contents

１． Japan’s view on MASS

２．Regulatory Framework for MASS

３．Conclusion

3 Conclusion

✓ MASS will develop in a phased manner from ships with decision

support tools/equipment to autonomous ships, introducing new

technologies

✓ The regulatory frameworks to accommodate MASS should also

be developed in a phased manner:

① Early phase

→Current regulatory frameworks + Interim Guidelines

② Developed phase

→Development of specific regulatory frameworks

✓ Experience Building Phase can be introduced to gain

experience and knowledge from new technologies which will

contribute to assess further action including the autonomous

operation

Thank you for your attention