KR and LISCR Grants AiP for HD Hyundai's Degree 3 Autonomous Navigation

[By: Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry]

HD Hyundai has taken a significant step toward the commercialization of Degree 3 autonomous navigation by successfully demonstrating integrated autonomous navigation and remote control on a large commercial vessel.

Recently, HD Hyundai applied its cutting-edge autonomous navigation and remote-control technologies to an 8,000-TEU container ship, conducting a series of integrated demonstrations. Following these achievements, the company secured Approval in Principle (AIP) from the Korean Register (KR) and the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), as announced on Thursday, the 28th.

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.

Pont.OS provides not only remote control of a ship's rudder and speed but also addresses critical maritime challenges, including communication delays, unforeseen operational events, and cybersecurity threats that may arise during navigation.

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.

A representative from the Korean Register commented, “HD Hyundai’s remote-control technology has proven critical for the commercialization of autonomous vessels, demonstrating both safety and reliability.” Similarly, the Liberian Registry highlighted, “The introduction of autonomous navigation and collision avoidance systems can significantly enhance safety at sea and protection of the marine environment. 

HiNAS Control with Pont.OS is an integrated system enabling remote control through ROCs and provides a valuable experience-building phase for the realization of autonomous shipping. 

The Liberian Registry congratulates HD Hyundai and Avikus with the Approval in Principle and thanks KR for the great collaboration for issuing our supplementary AIP.

An official from HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering stated, “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.”

MV Manzanillo Bridge (8,000 TEU Cont.)