Hyundai Heavy deploys smart shipping technology

For the first time, a bulk carrier ship has been outfitted with Hyundai Heavy Industries Group’s navigation assistant system, the company said in a statement Thursday.

The Hyundai Intelligent Navigation Assistant System was installed on SK Shipping’s 250,000-deadweight-ton bulk carrier.

Jointly developed with KAIST, the system is designed to alert sailors of potential danger by analyzing surrounding carriers and displaying information about them by using augmented reality, allowing the ships to maintain a safe distance from each other.

The system uses thermographic cameras to spot obstacles in the dark or in a sea fog.

In 2017, Hyundai Heavy Industries Group developed an internet of things platform to provide data to manage energy consumption and find efficient routes. So far, 150 of the ships are outfitted with the platform.

Autonomous navigating vessels and related equipment sales grow at an average of 12.8 percent per year, according to market researcher Acute Market Reports. The market value is projected to reach $155 billion.

BY JIN MIN-JI [jin.minji@joongang.co.kr]