Avikus to equip 5+ships with AI-driven autonomous navigation tech

Avikus, an autonomous navigation solutions venture founded by South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) Group, has signed a supply contract with compatriot shipping major H-Line Shipping for its AI-driven autonomous navigation solution intended for commercial vessels.

As disclosed, H-Line Shipping is set to apply Avikus’s AI-based autonomous navigation system dubbed HiNAS Control—which integrates various equipment and sensors to guide vessels along the ‘optimal’ route and speed—to five ships as the inaugural batch.

The aim would be to confirm the system’s efficiency and safety. By next year, H-Line Shipping is anticipated to expand the deployment to as many as 30 ships.

“This contract serves as another opportunity to validate the safety and efficiency of HiNAS Control. We will expand our collaborations not only with domestic shipping companies but also with global players in the maritime industry,” Do-Hyeong Lim, CEO of Avikus highlighted.

Avikus is believed to be the ‘first’ business in the industry to commercialize a navigation solution that corresponds to the International Maritime Organization’s degree number 2 concerning autonomous shipping which allows seafarers onboard a remotely controlled vessel to take control and operate the shipboard functions.

Earlier this year, Avikus demonstrated up to 15% fuel savings during a 5,800-mile trial voyage, seeking to exemplify the ‘advantages’ of autonomous navigation systems, particularly HiNAS. As understood, the fuel savings were calculated on a 325,000 dwt very large ore carrier (VLOC) which operated several times on a route from Singapore to Brazil. The calculations also showed a 10% reduction in carbon emissions.

The performance was verified by HD KSOE, Avikus, Pan Ocean, Pan Ocean’s ship management subsidiary POS SM and the Korean Register (KR).

More recently, Avikus shook hands with Norway’s classification society DNV to collaborate on creating the ‘world’s first’ approval of autonomous vessel solutions.

According to Avikus, the system, which received DNV’s Design Verification Report (DVR) in 2023, will be assessed against DNV-CG 0264 and other applicable international standards to ensure compliance with DNV’s regulations, including class guidelines and upcoming class notations. The company stated that the aim with this was to secure the ‘first’ Type Approval of its kind by the end of this year.