Hyundai Heavy develops AI-based fire monitoring system

South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) Group has independently developed an artificial intelligence (AI) based safety management/monitoring system (HiCAMS) and obtained classification and flag approval-in-principal (AIP) for the first time in the shipbuilding industry.

As explained, the new method will be one of the core technologies to manage and control safety aboard next-generation smart and autonomous ships.

The advanced technology has been approved by classification society Korean Register of Shipping (KR) and flag state administration Liberian Registry.

The approvals have laid the foundation for expanding the application of this technology to the global fleet and providing valuable increases in vessel safety, according to the Liberian Registry.

Specifically, the AIP is the world’s first classification certification for computer vision-based AI solutions for ship’s internal fire monitoring. This technology would provide a modern replacement option for existing fire monitoring sensors with an AI-based early fire monitoring system that combines image recognition/processing technology, ship interior and fire big data, and advanced AI algorithms.

The fire monitoring sensor used in the past takes up to 2 minutes to detect a flame or smoke by the sensor. The developed system based on video/deep learning has greater speed and accuracy of fire detection by enabling immediate recognition.

As a technology that can significantly reduce the risk of fire inside a ship, it is said to be of interest to shipping, regulatory, and shipbuilding industries.

“Starting with the development of this AI-based fire monitoring system, we will preempt the future autonomous ship era by expanding it to the entire ship safety field,” an official from HHI said.

Starting with this image-based AI fire monitoring solution, Hyundai Heavy plans to develop technologies gradually that can detect various accidents and emergency situations (personal accidents, oil leaks, dampness, container overturns, etc.) that may occur inside and outside of the ship during ship operation. Such AI-based ship safety management/surveillance system is expected to be actively applied as an essential system for safe navigation, and further applicability aboard autonomous ships that are currently being developed.

Meanwhile, HHI independently developed and commercialized the navigation assistance system (HiNAS), the core technology of autonomous ships in 2020. HHI also developed a virtual commissioning solution based on digital twin (HiDTS) in early 2021. The shipbuilder is further working on AI solutions for the development of next-generation smart ships and autonomous ships, such as succeeding in developing artificial intelligence solutions for ship internal safety management.