Innovations

The future of navigation

Anschütz has revolutionized shipping with numerous innovations, including the so-called iron helmsman, the chart plotter, the track control system, and the first type-approved integrated navigation system. Anschütz continues to work on maritime innovations and contributes to domestic and international maritime R&D projects, among others to explore and develop technologies related to a safer, more efficient and better assisted, automated, remote-controlled or autonomous ship operation.

R&D projects

We strive to continuously make navigation and shipping safer, more reliable and more efficient. That's why we bring our experience and expertise to drive the development of the navigation of the future and the vision of highly automated or autonomous ships. We participate in corresponding R&D projects with partners from science and industry:

MTCAS project (2016-2018)

In the MTCAS project we were able to gain initial insights into the automatic classification of road users, cooperative evasive maneuvers and corresponding representation and decision-making support for navigators.

GalileoNautic 2 project (2018-2021)

In the GalileoNautic 2 project, solutions and approaches for highly automated navigation in narrow sea areas and port areas were developed and tested under real conditions. This included, for example, optimized ship management and automated berthing manoeuvres.

CAPTN Förde Areal project (2021-2024)

In the CAPTN Förde Areal project, a digital test field including the “Wavelab” (a catamaran as a technological test vehicle) and a control center for testing (partially) autonomous ferry shipping on the Kiel fjord is set up.

CAPTN Förde 5G project (2021-2024)

In the CAPTN Förde 5G project, a 5G mobile network is set up on the Kiel fjord, and systems for data management, navigational assistance and remote monitoring will be developed to enable remote-controlled and autonomous operations.

OCUMAR (2022-2024)

OCUMAR, also part of the CAPT initiative, aims for an integrated solution for automated or semi-autonomous ship management that combines sensor, navigation and actuator systems, resolves collision situations and provides the crew with avoidance trajectories when making decisions can support.


Anschütz demonstrates remote control of MV Wavelab

With the delivery of the MV Wavelab as a research platform for autonomous and semi-autonomous navigation, the research of the Clean Autonomous Public Transportation Network (CAPTN) initiative in Kiel has really taken off. Anschütz has successfully demonstrated the remote control of the MV Wavelab in the new Shore Control Centre, marking another milestone in the CAPTN research project Fjord 5G. For the full story click here.

Anschütz continues journey towards autonomous navigation

In order to explore the autonomous navigation of a ship under realistic conditions, the Clean Autonomous Public Transportation Network (CAPTN) has created a unique maritime test infrastructure on the Kiel Inner Fjord as part of the CAPTN Förde Areal I research project. Anschütz is now entering the next phase with the follow-up project CAPTN Förde Areal II, which will enable extensive research and development efforts in regard to autonomous shipping on the Kiel Fjord in the long term. Click here to read the full article.


Innovation hub (formerly know as RAN-Dock)

Anschütz has established an own maritime innovation hub. Located in the center of the company, the innovation hub is a creative space in which employees and talents can develop new ideas or new methods of cooperation outside the established business processes. In addition to our own workforce, Anschütz also opens the space for customers, start-ups, research institutes, and others in the region who are interested in joining the experimentation room and working together on cooperative business ideas and the possibilities of digital transformation in shipping.

Pictures from the innovation hub:

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