It's another milestone for Hyundai.
Hyundai's subsidiary, Avikus, has successfully conducted the world's first transoceanic voyage of a large merchant ship based on its autonomous navigation technology.
According to Yonhap News Agency, HD Hyundai said in a statement that Avikus, a wholly-owned unit of the South Korean shipbuilder, has successfully tested its own Level 2 autonomous navigation solution called HiNAS 2.0 on a 180,000 square-meter-class liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier.
On May 1, the Prism Courage left Freeport in the Gulf of Mexico. It used Avikus' AI-powered HiNAS 2.0 system to steer the vessel for half of its roughly 12,427-mile journey to the Boryeong LNG Terminal in South Korea's western Chungcheong Province, as per Engadget report.
Avikus Chief Promises to Lead Innovation by Upgrading Autonomous Navigation Solutions
According to Avikus Chief Executive Lim Do-hyeong, they will lead innovation by upgrading autonomous navigation solutions.
"It is meaningful that we have successfully tested the Level 2 system to operate a vessel beyond the Level 1 technology providing optimal routes. We will lead innovation by upgrading autonomous navigation solutions not only for large merchant ships but also for small leisure boats," Lim Do-hyeong said in the statement.
The LNG ship is operated by SK Shipping Co., an affiliate of chemical-to-construction conglomerate SK Group.
The company said that although the LNG ship is not an unmanned vessel, there was no interruption by crew members during the 10,000-kilometer autonomous navigation.
According to global market research firm Acute Market Reports, the autonomous navigation ships and related equipment market is expected to grow by an average rate of 12.6 percent a year to reach US$235.7 billion in 2028, as per Yonhap News Agency report.
HD Hyundai has Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. (KSOE) as a subholding company under its wing.
Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries Co are KSOE major affiliates.
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Avikus Will Soon Commercialize HiNAS 2.0
Avikus plans to commercialize HiNAS 2.0 by the end of the year.
Although fully AI-driven shipping is nowhere on the horizon, the company hopes its Level 2 autonomy will mitigate crew shortages and improve safety. Avikus also hopes that it will reduce the environmental impact of seaborne transportation.
In addition to giant merchant ships, the firm also expects to bring this navigation to leisure boats. Therefore, it possible that your next pleasure ride aboard a cabin cruiser or yacht might not always require someone at the helm.
Although the autonomy spared the crew some work, it definitely have helped the planet. According to Avikus, HiNAS' optimal route planning improved the Prism Courage's fuel efficiency by about seven percent, and reduced emissions by five percent, according to Engadget.
But the feat didn't quite usher in an era of zero-crew shipping. As most of the route was in the open sea, the other half of the trip still required human navigation.
For an autonomous ship, it would have been difficult to control the entire voyage, particularly in ports where docking and packed waterways would pose additional challenges.
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