China's first self-navigating container merchant vessel Zhifei awaits to set sail on its maiden voyage from Qingdao Port in East China's Shandong province on April 22. [Photo/WeChat ID: qdxihaianfabu]

China's first self-navigating container merchant vessel Zhifei was officially put into operation at Qingdao Port in East China's Shandong province on April 22, according to local media reports.

The operation of the vessel marks that China is at the global forefront of research and applications of intelligent ship navigation, and will play an important role in promoting the development of China's intelligent ship technology.

The results of the national strategic research and development plan "Key Technologies of Ship Intelligent Navigation and Control Based on Ship-Shore Collaboration" have been utilized along with demonstration applications on Zhifei.

Zhifei is equipped with a complete set of intelligent navigation systems jointly developed by Intelligent Navigation (Qingdao) Technology Co Ltd, CSIC 704 Research Institute, China Waterborne Transport Research Institute, Dalian Maritime University and other institutions, and has multiple driving modes such as manual driving, remote driving, and autonomous driving.