Smartphone support for boat rescue service developed

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The Japan Marine Recreation Association (JMRA) and Fujitsu Limited have announced the deployment of a cloud-based emergency position reporting system developed by Fujitsu for JMRA’s pleasure boat rescue service, the Boat Assistance Network (BAN).

The service will be offered beginning in the fall. When pleasure boats run into mechanical problems or other difficulties, owners can simply access the online emergency position reporting system from their smartphone or other internet-enabled mobile device, and automatically transmit the correct position of their craft to JMRA using a GPS information service.

Through GPS coordinates and an automatically updated map, the rescue ship can obtain constant positional information of the help-seeking pleasure boat as it is carried along by currents and tides, to quickly reach the rescue location. Those who requested help can also get real-time map updates on the position of the rescue boat, giving them peace of mind while they wait for assistance.

JMRA will support increased safety for pleasure craft operation using Fujitsu’s cloud-based emergency position reporting system, which can be easily operated from smartphones and other mobile devices.

In 2016, there were as many as 1,300 pleasure craft boat incidents in Japanese waters, of which about 850, or roughly 65%, needed help with relatively minor problems such as equipment failure, dead batteries, or fuel outage.