*********** 060994A.ENG *********** Contributory Category: ICE,ENV Country: Japan From: Institute Brochure KEYWORDS: Japan; Artificial Intelligence, Engineering Test Facilities, Mininstry of Transport, Maritime Safety, Model Testing Tanks, Ocean Engineering, Offshore Structures, Ship Research. +++++ Institutional brochure on the Ship Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport headed by Dr. Kitagawa (Japan chairman of UJNR Panel on Marine Facilities: see previous messages). This is the major non-industrial test facility now that the Tsukuba test tanks run by the Ship-Ocean Foundation have been closed due to lack of sufficient funds generated by speed boat racing. The facility outside of central Tokyo is large and the testing equipment very modern. Various innovative programs such as the use of a flight simulator like system to study human factors etc. in ship navigation are brief discussed in Msg. B. Also there is a brief mention of the work at the branch centers at Osaka and Tokai. Although not mentioned in the brochure, they also are testing ROV's in co-operation with the University of Tokyo's Institute of Industrial Science. ************** END Msg. A.ENG **************