South Korean HD Hyundai has received Approval in Principle (AIP) from the Korean Register (KR) and the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR) for its autonomous navigation and remote-control technologies.
As disclosed, the approval follows the demonstration of its integrated autonomous navigation and remote control on a large commercial vessel, specifically an 8,000 TEU containership.
With this in mind, HD Hyundai has taken a significant step toward the commercialization of Degree 3 autonomous navigation.
This demonstration is part of HD Hyundai’s plan to commercialize a remote-control service that integrates HiNAS, an autonomous navigation solution developed by Avikus, with Pont.OS (Pont.OS), a remote-control solution created in-house by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE).
Pont.OS provides remote control of a ship’s rudder and speed and addresses maritime challenges, including communication delays, unforeseen operational events, and cybersecurity threats that may arise during navigation.
According to HD Hyundai, a key achievement of this demonstration was the world-first application of transfer-of-control technology between multiple remote operation centers (ROCs) for large commercial vessels. This technology ensures “the continuity of remote navigation over long distances by enabling seamless control handoffs between ROCs” .
During the demonstration, control was successfully transferred between the Integrated Digital Monitoring Center at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan, and the Digital Convergence Center at the Global R&D Center (GRC) in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.
The demonstration was conducted within the regulatory framework of Korea’s Advanced Industry Regulatory Sandbox Project, overseen by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy. Conditional approval under this framework allowed HD Hyundai to conduct practical tests, such as remote maneuvering and collision avoidance in congested waters—testing solutions to challenges posed by the Seafarers Act, Port Act, and Maritime Traffic Safety Act.
“This Approval in Principle establishes a key foundation for the commercialization of autonomous navigation and remote-control technologies. Moving forward, we aim to lead the international standardization of autonomous navigation systems, paving the way for the future of the maritime industry ,” an official from HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) stated.
“The introduction of autonomous navigation and collision avoidance systems can significantly enhance safety at sea and protection of the marine environment,” the Liberian Registry highlighted.