'Unmanned Ship'... HD Hyundai Raises Anchor for Commercialization of Autonomous Navigation

Demonstration of Autonomous Navigation and Remote Control for Large Container Ships

HD Hyundai has succeeded in integrated demonstration of autonomous navigation and remote control for large vessels, marking the start of commercialization of 'Autonomous Navigation Level 3.' This technology level allows remote control without crew onboard the ship.

On the 28th, HD Hyundai announced that it applied autonomous navigation and remote control technology to an 8000 TEU-class container ship, conducted integrated demonstration, and obtained basic certification (AIP) from the Korean Register (KR) and the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR).

On the 27th, HD Hyundai held a ceremony to commemorate the basic certification (AIP) for integrated autonomous navigation and remote control demonstration of large container ships at the HD Hyundai Global R&D Center in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do. From left to right: Lim Do-hyung, CEO of Abicus; Kim Jeong-sik, CEO of the Liberia Registry; Hong Dae-hoon, Executive Director of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries; Kim Yeon-tae, Head of Technology at the Korean Register; Kwon Byung-hoon, Executive Director of HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore. (Provided by HD Hyundai)

HD Hyundai plans to commercialize an integrated remote control service using Avikus’s autonomous navigation solution 'HiNAS Control' and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore’s self-developed remote control solution. The remote control solution not only enables remote steering and speed control but also considers the unique operational environment of ships to respond to communication delays, unexpected situations, and cyber threats that may occur during navigation.

HD Hyundai introduced the world’s first technology for switching control authority between multiple Remote Operation Centers (ROC) for large commercial vessels. This allows the control authority to be transferred from one ROC to another during long-distance voyages, ensuring continuity of remote navigation.

In this demonstration, control authority was successfully switched between the Integrated Digital Control Center located at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan and the Digital Convergence Center located within the HD Hyundai Global R&D Center (GRC) in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.

Currently, autonomous ships face difficulties in demonstration due to regulations such as the Seafarers Act, Port Act, and Maritime Traffic Safety Act. HD Hyundai obtained conditional approval through the 'Planned Regulatory Sandbox Project for Advanced Industries' led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, enabling successful demonstration of steering and collision avoidance in congested waters from the ROC.

An HD Hyundai official said, "Through this certification, we have established a core foundation for the commercialization of autonomous navigation and remote control technology," adding, "We will actively respond to global systems and regulations such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and take the lead in international standardization of autonomous navigation technology."

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