KT·Abikus, 5G Autonomous Navigation Demonstration on 10km Section of Pohang Canal

5G Autonomous Navigation Ship Control and Management Service Demonstration Event Held

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] KT announced on the 16th that it held a demonstration of 5G autonomous ship navigation and control services at the Pohang Canal in Pohang, Gyeongbuk, and the control center in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, in collaboration with Abikus.

In this demonstration, KT was responsible for remotely controlling the autonomous ship based on the 5G network, while Abikus installed its independently developed autonomous navigation system on the ship and conducted a fully autonomous navigation demonstration without human intervention. Abikus is a specialized subsidiary of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group focusing on autonomous navigation solutions and navigation assistance systems.

The demonstration was conducted simultaneously at the KT network control centers located in Pohang Canal and Gwacheon. In Pohang, a 12-passenger sightseeing boat equipped with Abikus's autonomous navigation and automatic docking technology navigated approximately a 10km section without a captain, covering the very narrow inner harbor of Pohang Canal, the outer harbor with many environmental variables, and the lower reaches of the Hyeongsan River.

At the same time, at the KT network control center in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, about 300km away from Pohang Canal, high-definition video and sensor information captured by cameras installed on the autonomous ship were received in real-time without delay through the 5G network, enabling remote real-time monitoring and control.

Additionally, a demonstration was conducted where KT's 5G-based ultra-low latency communication technology transmitted real-time ship navigation video to the control center, allowing the acquisition of visual information similar to the actual onboard experience from a remote location.

Specifically, ▲ real-time monitoring of 360-degree around video of the autonomous ship ▲ remote driving control linked with marine 5G IoT routers ▲ confirmation of LiDAR and radar information inside the ship were simultaneously performed remotely at the KT network control center and a mobile control vehicle deployed near Pohang Canal.

This demonstration by the two companies is expected to greatly contribute to the popularization of unmanned autonomous ship technology. Going forward, the two companies plan to continuously develop various new business models related to ship control and autonomous navigation by linking with KT’s LTE-based marine Internet of Things (IoT) services and marine safety services, utilizing docking data and environmental data (weather, sea fog, etc.).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.