South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has successfully tested its autonomous navigation technology on board a 15,000 TEU containership.
The autonomous voyage covered a distance of approximately 1,500km from Jeju Island, South Korea to Kaohsiung Port in Taiwan, across the East China Sea and parts of the South China Sea.
SHI equipped the vessel with its Autonomous Ship and Smart Ship Solution SVESSEL, a remote autonomous navigation system developed by the shipbuilder. The system integrates advanced autonomous navigation technologies, including AIS, radar, camera sensors, and sensor fusion to analyze and fuse the data collected.
Over the course of the voyage, the system identified more than 9,000 obstacles and generated routes that aligned with routes determined by experienced human navigators in over 90% of scenarios.
SHI said the autonomous voyage successfully demonstrated the system’s ability in presenting accurate avoidance routes when faced with approaching vessels in the South China Sea, a region known for heavy maritime traffic.
“Following last year’s successful demonstration in Jeju Island and Dokdo, we have now showcased our advanced autonomous navigation technology on a global scale,” said Kim Hyeon-jo, head of SHI’s Autonomous Navigation Research Center. “This achievement solidifies Samsung Heavy Industries’ position at the forefront of the industry.”
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