Osaka University has announced a successful model experiment of an "Intelligent Ship" under the supervision of Prof. Kazuhiko Hasegawa. The experiment was conducted at the Marine ITS Model Basin of the University. Prof. Kazuhiko Hasegawa, who is a specialist in the ship maneuverability and automation, also supervises a related project - Intelligent Marine Traffic Simulator, which is expected to result in the complete traffic simulation in busy areas such as Tokyo Bay or Osaka Bay.

"Intelligent Ship" avoids other vessels or obstacles automatically while maintaining the original course. The model utilizes RTK-GPS, gyro and wireless LAN linked with onboard computers and "Intelligent Marine Traffic Simulator". The simulator works as a server, which can control all ships in the supervised area. The simulator can accept any external ships as its clients. The model receives appropriate commands from the simulator according to its predetermined course and the movement of other vessels in the area.