OLYMPIA DREAM SETO
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Ferry started sailing with autonomous system
Japan has launched the service of its first autonomous navigation ferry, the 'Olympia Dream Seto', which recently completed the licensing process and started sailing with the autonomous system on Dec 11, 2025, as part of an ongoing government-sponsored project to advance autonomous navigation technology. The Nippon Foundation hosted a demonstration of the autonomous system on Dec 10, highlighting it as a major milestone in the development of the technology. The ferry gently pulled away from the pier and proceeded through calm waters and also showed its ability to detect a ship ahead and reroute. The ship is the first vessel successfully completed by the MEGURI 2040 project, which was launched in 2020. The ferry runs an approximate 70-minute route between Shin-Okayama Port and Shodoshima's Tonosho Port on the small islands off the coast of Japan. It crosses the Seto Inland Sea and has a capacity for up to 500 passengers and 60 cars, or 10 buses. It operates at a speed of 13 knots with a crew of 10. The MEGURI project was launched to advance autonomous navigation to the commercial stage. The Foundation highlighted that it will help to reduce accidents caused by human error and will also address the growing shortage of seafarers. The project’s set a goal of achieving 50 % unmanned operations of domestic ships by 2040. The project conducted demonstration testing between January and March 2022. This included sailing in Tokyo Bay, which was designated as a congested waterway for the tests, with the Foundation highlighting the high vessel traffic in the region. It also completed a long-distance demonstration sailing approximately over 460 miles. Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism established a study group in 2024 to consider the safety standards and inspection methods for autonomous shipping. The results were released in June 2025, setting the way for the 'Olympia Dream Seto' to proceed. The vessel’s systems were required to undergo an inspection before it was installed. This was completed in July and earned the vessel the “early-stage autonomous ship” designation. The 2nd phase was completed on Dec 5, after the vessel demonstrated autonomous operations, and it received its certificate. The ferry’s operator, Ryobi Ferry Company, says it will start using the system as the crew becomes more familiar with its operations.
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