Prism Courage, a commercial oil tanker weighing 134,000 tons, has autonomously navigated from the Gulf of Mexico to South Korea using the HiNAS 2.0 artificial intelligence system.
According to Oddity Central, Avikus – a subsidiary of South Korea’s tech giant Hyundai – announced that the Prism Courage, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, has become the first super vessel to autonomously cross the ocean over a distance of more than 10,000 km. The “key” to this remarkable achievement is the HiNAS 2.0 – an AI system capable of analyzing various sensors in real time, responding quickly and efficiently, and most importantly, complying with all maritime regulations.
The Prism Courage has become the first super vessel to autonomously cross the ocean over a distance of more than 10,000 km.
Similar to aircraft, Prism Courage features advanced “automated crew” that can control the ship along maritime routes stably, respond to routing points, and is equipped with a smart steering system using GPS positioning. This system can even dock the vessel in case the crew is no longer aboard or unable to perform that task.
However, the process of constructing a vessel capable of autonomous navigation for tens of thousands of kilometers across the Atlantic Ocean is much more complex than simply installing an autopilot mode.
In addition to real-time navigation of the oil tanker, Avikus’s HiNAS 2.0 system can also select optimal routes with the most suitable speeds to reach the destination by analyzing data collected through advanced sensors. This technology can also assess weather conditions and wave heights, while ensuring it does not get too close to other vessels to avoid collisions.
Prism Courage departed from Freeport, Texas on May 1 and passed through the Panama Canal into the Pacific Ocean. Subsequently, the ship traveled for 33 days to reach the Boryeong LNG terminal in South Korea. The vessel’s journey was also managed by the AI-supported HiNAS 2.0 system.
Maritime authorities from the United States and South Korea monitored and evaluated the ship’s performance. Data shows that the AI system helped increase fuel efficiency by 7% and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 5%. Furthermore, this system accurately identifies the positions of nearby vessels and can reduce collision risk by approximately 100 times.
Captain Young-hoon Koh stated: “Avikus’s autonomous navigation technology has been extremely helpful in this transoceanic trial, especially in navigating routes, automatically changing directions, and avoiding nearby ships. All of this significantly supports the work of the crew on board.”
Founded in 2020, Avikus has managed to produce the autonomous ship control system within just two years. The latest version of HiNAS was introduced earlier this year at the CES 2022 technology exhibition. Following this recent success, the company announced plans to commercialize the HiNAS 2.0 system this year after receiving certification from the U.S. Coast Guard.
