Hyundai Intelligent Navigation Assistant System. (image: Hyundai Heavy Industries Group)
SEOUL, April 10 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s top shipyard Hyundai Heavy Industries Group announced Thursday that it has successfully applied core technology for autonomous sailing to a large-sized vessel.
The group installed Hyundai Intelligent Navigation Assistant System (HiNAS), a cutting-edge navigation aid system, on a 25-ton bulk carrier owned by local shipper SK Shipping Co.
This makes the group the world’s first company to apply autonomous sailing technology to a vessel currently in operation.
HiNAS, co-developed by Hyundai Heavy and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) that determines the risk of collision with nearby ships by analyzing video footage from cameras onboard, and sends notifications to the officer at the helm through amplified reality technology.
Infrared cameras are capable of locating obstacles and measuring their speed of movement even at night or in the fog.
Hyundai Heavy said HiNAS will bring the company to a more competitive position in the self-sailing vessels market.
In 2017, Hyundai Heavy received more than 150 orders after developing the Integrated Smart Ship Solution (ISS), an Internet of Things (IoT) platform for vessels that offers efficient energy management solutions and locates optimal sailing routes.
Hyundai Heavy also announced that it has completed the development of Hyundai Intelligence Berthing Assistance System (HiBAS), a system that offers a full view of the ship when berthing or clearing.
“Ship accidents can lead to catastrophic damages,” SK Shipping said. “We will now be able to offer safer and economical shipping services thanks to autonomous sailing technology.”
Acute Market Reports, a global market intelligence service, anticipated the size of the market for autonomous sailing technology and byproducts to grow by 12.8 percent each year, reaching US$155 billion by 2025.
“Autonomous sailing vessels are the future of the maritime industry that combines various core technologies leading to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, such as IoT, big data, and artificial intelligence,” Hyundai Heavy said.
“We aim to speed up the advent of the age of autonomous sailing through a preemptive approach to research and development, and secure dominance in fledgling markets.”
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
