HD Hyundai Avikus Receives World's First Type Approval for Universal Autonomous Navigation System

Three-Year Joint Verification with DNV
Expected to Influence IMO Autonomous Navigation Standards

Avikus, HD Hyundai's subsidiary specializing in autonomous ship navigation, is accelerating the commercialization of autonomous navigation technology.

On April 7, HD Hyundai announced that Avikus recently obtained Type Approval (TA) from DNV, the Norwegian classification society, for its autonomous navigation system "HiNAS Control."

A container ship equipped with HD Hyundai Abicus's autonomous navigation solution for large vessels, HiNAS Control. HD Hyundai

HiNAS Control, which has received type approval, is an autonomous navigation system that integrates "perception, judgment, and control" functions. It is a solution that enables the vessel to independently recognize nearby ships and obstacles, assess navigation situations, and control itself to avoid collisions.

This marks the first time that a mass-produced autonomous navigation system, which can be universally applied to various vessels rather than being limited to a specific ship or project, has received international certification. As a result, HiNAS Control can now be installed without any additional verification, thereby increasing efficiency in its application, and is expected to enhance the trust of global shipowners.

Avikus has closely collaborated with DNV for more than three years to jointly define safety requirements and establish a verification framework for autonomous navigation systems. DNV systematically evaluated Avikus’s vision sensing and sensor fusion technology—which detects nearby vessels and obstacles under various operating conditions, including nighttime and severe weather—along with its collision avoidance functions based on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS), in accordance with its own guidelines.

The verification framework and evaluation criteria established through this process are expected to serve as key reference models for future standards, given that international standards for autonomous navigation have yet to be established. In particular, as discussions on the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) non-mandatory MASS Code for autonomous ships are underway, this approval and verification framework are likely to be utilized in formulating detailed technical standards in the future. Through this, Avikus is expected to secure a foundation for responding efficiently to future changes in international regulations, and HiNAS Control is anticipated to become a standard technology in the global autonomous navigation market.

Vidar Dolonen, Regional Manager for Korea and Japan at DNV, stated, "Type approval of HiNAS Control is particularly meaningful as it represents the first system to advance autonomous navigation technology from a mere vision to the stage of commercialization."

Dohyung Lim, CEO of Avikus, said, "This type approval demonstrates that Avikus's autonomous navigation technology has been recognized for its world-class safety and reliability," adding, "We will lead both the commercialization of autonomous navigation technology and the establishment of international standards, leveraging the synergy with the HD Hyundai Group."

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