China's Xin Hong Zhuan, a groundbreaking intelligent training vessel, embarked on its maiden 4,000-nautical-mile voyage from Dalian this week. The ship's launch coincides with China's National Maritime Day celebrations, marking a leap forward in autonomous navigation technology and maritime education.
Equipped with six domestically developed intelligent systems, the 69.8-meter vessel will conduct pioneering experiments in busy shipping lanes and narrow channels during its 30-day journey. Key tests include autonomous collision avoidance and real-time route adjustments in challenging environments like Haikou's Xinhai Port and Yangpu Port's constrained waterways.
"Simply input the destination, and the ship autonomously completes the voyage," said Sun Feng of Dalian COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry, highlighting the vessel's advanced perception sensors and decision-making algorithms. The systems integrate navigation, engineering, and electrical operations into a single platform using entirely Chinese-developed hardware and software.
Dalian Maritime University and COSCO Shipping collaborated on the project, which recently achieved successful autonomous navigation through narrow passages. Executive director Wang Guofeng noted the ship's ability to perform complex maneuvers traditionally requiring skilled human crews.
The voyage demonstrates China's growing capabilities in smart shipping technology, with potential implications for global maritime safety and efficiency. As the vessel visits six public-access ports, it serves as both a research platform and training tool for future maritime professionals.
