Digital Twin for managing complex systems in maritime industryProf. Taiga Mitsuyuki (Yokohama National University)

In the maritime industry, monitoring technology has been applied on a trial basis for about 10 years. There are many examples of rational performance management using monitoring data for individual components such as marine engines. However, it is difficult to realize performance management of required functions of complex entire systems like ship and shipbuilding process using limited monitoring data. For example, the performance of a ship is evaluated by indicators such as propulsive performance, structural integrity, maneuverability, and so on. But it is known that these performance indicators are fluctuated and changed greatly depending on the operating conditions and the surrounding environment such as the sea area. Otherwise, shipbuilding process is a large and complex project, which basically involves a large percentage of highly technical work done by human workers. The progress of each work done by humans is unstable, and there are many reworks and troubles in shipbuilding process. In this situation, rational project management has not been possible.

To deal with the above problems, we are studying the digital twin approach for realizing rational management in ship operation and shipbuilding process. Specifically, this presentation will be introduced ongoing research activities on how the series of loops of simulation, monitoring, and system identification can be conducted in ship operation and shipbuilding process. Through these case studies, we will discuss what are the important key issues to realize effective digital twin management in complex systems.