The world's first research and training ship with autonomous navigation, remote control, and autonomous operation capabilities was launched on Monday in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, and after being put into use, the ship will provide technical support for the development of intelligent ships in China.

According to media reports, the ship was constructed by Dalian Maritime University and began construction in May 2023. It is scheduled to enter service in June 2024.

The ship is 69.83 meters long and 10.9 meters wide, equipped with bow thrusters and anti-roll fins, and can accommodate 50 crew. Compared to conventional vessels, the ship has an intelligent equipment laboratory for scientists to conduct research and a multimedia teaching room for students to participate in practical training.

Additionally, the vessel is equipped with an intelligent decision-making model and an automatic berthing and unberthing system based on maritime regulations and navigation big data, which can optimize the navigation path and avoid collision intelligently, enabling autonomous navigation in all waters.

Moreover, the ship utilizes digital twin technology to achieve scene reconstruction, achieving a fusion of virtual and real teaching and training, which is a relatively advanced level of intelligent teaching. Shore-based remote control of the ship will be achieved within six months of being put into use, and after a year, autonomous navigation experiments will be conducted with on-board supervision.

Shan Hongjun, the president of Dalian Maritime University, said that the ship will be developed into a high-end platform for the application and comprehensive testing of intelligent ship technology, so as to provide technical support for the development of the domestic industry in China.

The ship will also be used for students to partake in cognitive learning and practical training, allowing them to directly experience the most advanced intelligent ship equipment, systems, and technologies, Shan said.