JTB Co., Ltd. Starts demonstration of AI self-driving boat navigation to realize a new Shodoshima tour ~ A project to create Shodoshima 20 years from now ~

[JTB Co., Ltd.] Starts demonstration of AI self-driving boat navigation to realize a new Shodoshima tour – Project to create Shodoshima 20 years from now – ​
JTB Co., Ltd. Press release: November 22, 2024 Start of AI self-driving boat navigation demonstration to realize a new Shodoshima tour – A project to create Shodoshima 20 years from now – Shodoshima Town, Kagawa Prefecture,
Shodoshima/Setouchi Area Management Association, JTB Co., Ltd., Eight Knot Co., Ltd., and Sinanen Mobility PLUS Co., Ltd. have developed an AI autonomous driving system that supports seafarers by automatically controlling ships and detecting obstacles. Boat navigation
demonstration (hereinafter referred to as “this demonstration”) will begin on Friday, November 22nd. AI self-driving boats do not require advanced boat handling skills and are unaffected by land traffic conditions, so they are expected to become a new means of
transportation for islanders and tourists. We aim to realize a variety of transportation methods that combine secondary and tertiary transportation such as existing route buses and shared bicycles, solve the problem of overtourism, and realize a new way to tour the island where you can enjoy the beauty of the Setouchi scenery while traveling. Masu. ■Autonomous navigation platform for small vessels “Eight Knot AI Captain” https://8kt.jp/
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/31978/1276/31978-1276-c73b658f57c7e9587f4348075da0315d-496×331.png *Select route using touch panel
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/31978/1276/31978-1276-0d6690a87bcbc4325255cd4dde9da53e-725×485.png *AI automatically sets route ■Background and purpose of this demonstration Shodoshima, floating in the Seto Inland Sea, is blessed with rich tourist resources such as the Twenty-Four Eye Movie Village and the Kankakei Gorge with its beautiful autumn leaves. Furthermore, Shodoshima (Tonosho Town/Shodoshima Town) won the Silver Award in the 2024 edition of the Green Destinations Awards, and is attracting attention as a sustainable tourist destination worldwide. However, public transportation on the island is not sufficient, with only about 30 taxis and only one local bus per hour depending on the location. Overtourism has become an issue, especially during busy seasons and events, with public transportation becoming congested due to the increase in tourists, and traffic congestion on the island’s only national highway due to the influx of cars from outside the island. Additionally, due to the imbalanced age structure and population decline due to the declining birthrate and aging population, the shortage of drivers and other workers is a serious problem. In order to address these issues, as part of the third phase of the “Project to Create Shodoshima 20 Years Ahead,” we will conduct navigation demonstrations using self-driving boats equipped with AI, with the aim of implementing them in the future. We aim to create a new Shodoshima tour route by combining this boat-based marine route, which does not require advanced boat handling skills, with the latest shared bicycles introduced in August of this year and existing route buses. This will not only provide an attractive island trip, but also help solve the problem of overtourism. ■Overview of this demonstration
・Implementation period: November 22nd (Friday) to November 30th (Saturday) ・Demonstration route: One flight per day will be operated on the following routes 1. to 3. (No flight will be operated on 3. on November 22nd only) 1. Angel Road → Santo Peninsula/Kamiura 2. Santo Peninsula/Kamiura → Roadside Station Shodoshima Furusato Village 3. Roadside Station Shodoshima Furusato Village → Angel Road *We will not be recruiting participants from the general public this time. Tourists from the island, students, and others will be on board. ・Vessel used: Passenger capacity 12 people (gross tonnage 10 tons, total length 11.88m) *This demonstration will be operated by crew from an operating company that holds a business license. ■Route to be demonstrated this time 1. Angel Road ~ Santo Peninsula Kamiura 2. Santo Peninsula Kamiura – Roadside Station Shodoshima Furusato Village 3.Roadside Station Shodoshima Furusato Village – Angel Road
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/31978/1276/31978-1276-7e5b48622238cde24caa567ec78cce3b-812×612.png ■About the “Project to Create Shodoshima 20 Years Ahead” We have started an “area development project” on Shodoshima, the center of the Seto Inland Sea, with the aim of improving the perceived value of tourist destinations and developing them sustainably through co-creation with local governments and businesses and the development of independent businesses. Approximately 70% of visitors to Shodoshima do not stay overnight on the island due to factors such as aging accommodation facilities, lack of capacity, lack of restaurants, and weak secondary transportation, making the economic impact extremely limited. I am. As a first step, from August 1, 2024 (Thursday), we will introduce 160 state-of-the-art bicycle share vehicles equipped with IoT and expand the number of cycle stations on the island to improve convenience for visitors. We are working to promote excursions around the island. In addition, as a second step, we will conduct a driving demonstration of a self-driving bus at the “Level 2” stage, which automatically controls the accelerator and steering wheel to support the driver, from September 12th (Thursday) to September 17th (Tuesday). It was carried out on *Project details First part: https://www.jtbcorp.jp/jp/newsroom/2024/08/01_jtb_shodoshima.html Second edition:
https://www.jtbcorp.jp/jp/newsroom/2024/08/30_shodoshima-autonomous-bus.html ○Shodoshima/Setouchi Area Management Association Our association says, “The challenges of this area, which is a tourist island that entered a super-aging society with a declining birthrate 20 years earlier than the average for Japan as a whole, are the challenges of Japan 20 years from now.Solving the challenges of this area is the solution to Japan’s challenges 20 years from now. ” was established in 2017 as a problem-solving, practical project-type area management organization based in the Setouchi area centered around Shodoshima and Teshima. We will contribute to passing on the history of the region by continuing to further develop and deepen the circle of volunteer expert companies, mainly in the five fields of tourism, transportation, environment, energy, and education. 〇JTB Co., Ltd. JTB’s business domain is “interaction creation projects,” and we work to solve regional and social issues by designing people x places x interaction. By developing tourism content that utilizes local resources, we will expand the number of people who interact with us and contribute to sustainable regional development. *“Exchange Creation Project” is a registered trademark of JTB Co., Ltd. ○Eight Not Co., Ltd. As a group of experts in robotics and AI, Eight Knot promotes “maritime DX” and “robotization of ships” with a focus on developing autonomous navigation technology for small ships, solving social issues and creating new economic zones based on the sea. We aim to create Through the social implementation of autonomous navigation technology, we will support ship crews, improve ship safety, optimize operational costs, and make water transportation more accessible. ○Sinanen Mobility PLUS Co., Ltd. Sinanen Mobility PLUS Co., Ltd. operates the share cycle “Daichari” and the “user-only share cycle” services mainly in Tokyo, three prefectures (Tokyo, Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama) and Osaka. Through the development of shared bicycles, which are environmentally friendly transportation infrastructure, we are achieving SDGs Goal 11: “Create sustainable cities,” Goal 13: “Take concrete measures to combat climate change,” and Goal 17: “Achieve goals through partnerships.” I will continue to contribute.