Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Challenges Development of World's First Large-Scale Unmanned Ship Technology

Following Autonomous Ocean Crossing,
Initiating Demonstration of Engine and Safety System Automation Technology

Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) signed a memorandum of understanding on the development and demonstration cooperation of autonomous ship engine automation solutions on the 6th (local time) in Las Vegas, USA, and are posing for a commemorative photo. (From left) Seungho Jeon, Vice President of Hyundai Heavy Industries; Kiseon Jung, President of HD Hyundai; Seongjun Kim, Director of Future Technology Institute at Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering; Patrick Ryan, Chief Technology Officer of ABS; Christopher Jay Wiernicki, Chief Executive Officer of ABS. Photo by HD Hyundai

[Las Vegas=Reporter Choi Seoyun] Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE), the intermediate holding company of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, is taking a step closer to realizing 'unmanned ships' capable of autonomous navigation, engine operation, and safety diagnostics without human assistance by partnering with the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).

On the 6th (local time), at CES 2023, the world's largest electronics and IT exhibition held in Las Vegas, USA, KSOE signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ABS for the development and demonstration cooperation of autonomous ship engine automation and integrated safety management systems.

The signing ceremony was attended by HD Hyundai President Jeong Gi-seon, KSOE Future Technology Center Director Kim Seong-jun, Hyundai Heavy Industries Vice President Jeon Seung-ho, and from ABS, CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki and CTO Patrick Ryan.

ABS is a leading international classification society that selects technical suitability and standards for ships and offshore structures to support the stable development of the shipbuilding and marine industry.

Through this agreement, both companies plan to conduct the world's first demonstration of the engine automation system (HiCBM) and integrated safety management system (HiCAMS) on an actual vessel by 2024.

The engine automation system and integrated safety management system are AI-based solutions that autonomously diagnose the condition of mechanical equipment such as engines and generators onboard and automatically detect and respond to emergencies like fires.

KSOE already obtained basic certification (AIP) for the two systems from ABS in September last year. In June last year, its affiliate Avikus successfully completed the world's first ocean crossing with an autonomous navigation system installed on a large vessel. If the demonstration of these two systems succeeds through this agreement, the development of the world's first 'unmanned ship' in the large vessel sector capable of long-duration operation without the assistance of navigators, engineers, or deck crew will become a reality.

Kim Seong-jun, Director of KSOE, said, "We also plan to collaborate with ABS on the AI-based LNG fuel propulsion system (Hi-GAS+), which won the CES 2023 Innovation Award at the end of last year," adding, "ABS cooperation will be a great help for HD Hyundai to lead the development and commercialization of autonomous navigation technology."

Christopher J. Wiernicki, CEO of ABS, stated, "We are pleased to lead autonomous navigation and unmanned ship technology through cooperation with the world's number one shipbuilding and marine group," and added, "We expect this to greatly assist in establishing related classification society demonstration procedures for large vessels."

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