I.  Summary

In recent years, China Classification Society (CCS) has actively carried out relevant research closely around the direction of "intelligent ship / unmanned ship technology". It has accumulated rich experience and achieved important achievements in risk assessment, key technology research, rules and standards preparation, test and verification platform development, full-scale ship survey and verification, as well as laboratory construction.

In order to strengthen the research on intelligent ship / unmanned ship technology, CCS actively carried out laboratory construction work, established a "ship’s intelligent technology and safety laboratory" in the society, and established a "key laboratory of unmanned ship system and equipment" in combination with relevant units in the industry, and was recognized as the Key Laboratory of industry by the Ministry of Transport of P.R.China. At present, the laboratory has built "test platform of ship’s intelligent collision system", " research platform of digital twin technology for intelligent ships", "risk assessment platform of sea trail for intelligent ships", "evaluation platform of ship’s cyber security", etc.

II.  Technical Capacities

1.  Intelligent ship’s rules and guidelines system

Since 2015, CCS has developed and released the following rules and guidance notes:

(1) Rules for Intelligent Ships (2015) and (2020);

(2) Guidelines for Ship’s Cyber Security Requirements and Evaluation (3017) and (2019);

(3) A series of guidelines for intelligent ships were released in 2017 and 2018, including the Guidelines for Survey of Intelligent Engine Room, Guidelines for Survey of Intelligent Energy Efficiency, Guidelines for Survey of Intelligent Integrated Platform, and Guidelines for Survey of Intelligent Cargo (Liquid Cargo);

(4) Guidelines for Survey of Unmanned Surface Craft released in 2017; and

(5) Guidelines for Autonomous Cargo Ships released in 2018.

Rules and guidelines system for intelligent ships

2.  Survey and verification for intelligent ships and systems

In combination with relevant scientific research projects, CCS continued to promote the research on intelligent ship's overall technology, information platform, equipment operation and maintenance, energy efficiency management, auxiliary automatic driving, simulation verification evaluation, etc., and successively completed the full-scale ship application and survey and verification for intelligent bulk carriers, intelligent container ships, super large intelligent ore carriers and super large intelligent oil tankers.

Intelligent Ships assigned with the class notation of “iship”

3.  Safety assessment and risk control of intelligent ships and systems

With the improvement of ship’s intelligence level, intelligent system and equipment will more and more undertake the ship control and decision-making tasks. While greatly liberating the productivity and improving the operation efficiency, the complexity and uncertainty related to intelligent technology will increase significantly, by which will bring direct risks to the safety of water transportation. In order to ensure that the intelligent ship can reach the equivalent or better safety, security and environmental protection level of the existing international maritime conventions, the laboratory provides risk identification and assessment services for intelligent ships and systems based on the relevant requirements of IMO Guidelines for Temporary Sea Trial of Autonomous Ships on the Sea (MASS) to provide assistance for control and elimination of the safety risks related to new technologies.

Safety assessment and risk control system for intelligent ships

4.  Test platform of ship’s intelligent technology

The test platform of ship intelligent system and equipment identifies the risk of application of intelligent system and equipment through risk assessment theory, and carries out the verification of safety level and technical maturity of intelligent system and equipment through simulation test, virtual reality integration test and other technical platforms in association with full-scale ship’s test field. The verification objects cover ship intelligent navigation, intelligent engine room, intelligent integrated platform, etc., as well as the evaluation and verification of ship’s cyber security. Through multi-dimensional test verification and evaluation, the risk of application for ship’s intelligent system and equipment can be effectively eliminated or reduced.

Test platform of ship’s intelligent collision system

Test platform of ship’s intelligent collision system

Research platform of digital twin technology for maritime equipment

Test and evaluation platform of ship’s cyber security

For the detailed service, please contact with:

CCS Science and Technology Innovation sand Test Center

Tel: +86 10 58112060            

e-mail: si@ccs.org.cn