Samsung Heavy succeeds in operating remote autonomous ship

South Korean shipbuilder, Samsung Heavy Industries Co., says it has successfully navigated its 300-ton remote autonomous ship.

The 38m ship was operated in seas off Geoje Island, 398 kilometres south of Seoul, via a remote-control system at a research centre located in Daejeon, 250 kilometres away from the seas. The ship returned safely to a point of departure without the help of crew after reaching its destination, which was 10 kilometres away.

The ship was navigated autonomously under remote control using Samsung Autonomous Ship. The successful trial means the company can move forward its plans to commercialise its independently developed autonomous navigation system by 2022.

The Korean government has allocated significant funds for local companies to create autonomous shipping technology recently, while neighbours China and Japan are also developing their own systems.