According to WPB, a groundbreaking transformation in maritime logistics is on the horizon as Hyundai Glovis, South Korea's top global shipping company, prepares to introduce artificial intelligence-powered navigation systems to its entire car carrier fleet. Together with Avikus, the autonomous maritime solutions arm of HD Hyundai, Glovis will apply state-of-the-art Level-2 Maritime Autonomous Surface Ship (MASS) technologies to seven of its large Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTCs), heralding a new era in ocean freight shipment.
This tech project, centered around the deployment of Avikus' HiNAS platform, is a melding of remote monitoring and real-time AI-driven route optimization. While the system does not yet enable fully unmanned navigation, it takes vessels one step towards semi-autonomous operations with potential gains in fuel efficiency and voyage productivity.
A Glovis executive pointed out the strategic fit of this innovation for point-to-point, long-haul PCTC routes that regularly connect ports in Asia with those of Europe and North America. Ships like the Sunrise, measuring 229.9 meters in length with a capacity of 7,000 vehicles, will be among the first to receive this innovation through retrofits. If successful, these vessels would be the largest of their kind to operate under AI-powered navigation systems, a record in the industry.
Yet, the choice to depend on an outside supplier instead of creating proprietary navigation software raises significant questions regarding long-term flexibility and control over system upgrades in the future. This dependence might be problematic in an environment where software autonomy and cybersecurity are becoming ever more vital.
The move falls under Glovis' broader strategic shift to become a smart logistics operator. The company has spent around $6.5 billion (9 trillion won) to achieve the transition by the end of this decade.
Avikus has already gained credibility within the shipping world, particularly after it proved Level-2 autonomy in a transatlantic LNG carrier voyage. With ongoing projects underway with firms such as Sinokor and H-Line, the firm is now developing Level-3 and Level-4 capabilities, which would enable fully unmanned operations in the not-so-distant future.
Interestingly, although Glovis and Avikus are subsidiaries of two separate wings of the Hyundai conglomerate, Hyundai Motor Group and HD Hyundai respectively, their collaboration is a testament to a growing synergy among South Korea's top industrial groups. Although Japanese and European firms have already tested elements of AI-enhanced navigation, Glovis stands out in that it has installed fully integrated decision-making technologies on several ships in operation.
Whether this project is a revolutionary success or a cautionary tale of over-dependence on automation remains to be seen. But the nearly 100,000-ton, AI-driven vessels are a watershed moment in the future of ocean logistics, offering a glimpse into how global shipping is on the cusp of being redesigned.
By Bitumenmag
Shipping, Technology
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