“Sensors and autonomous navigation systems onboard ships are essential to assist in safe navigation.”

Kim Jae-woo, a division manager at Samsung Heavy Industries, presented on the 'Cooperation Plan for Core Sensor Technology for Autonomous Ships' as a keynote speaker at the '2025 10th Advanced Sensor Forum' held at COEX on the 4th.

Kim Jae-woo, the head of the department, said, “Recently, we have been spurring the development of autonomous ship technology, which is attracting attention as a future industry beyond simple ship manufacturing,” and “Various sensors and communication systems are essential for the safe operation of ships.”

Kim Jae-woo, the head of the department, said, “Currently, the ship’s electrical system is largely divided into five categories: △Automation system △Main engine control △Cargo management △Fire and gas response △Navigation and communication system. Among these, the navigation and communication system is called the ‘bridge’ of the ship, and it is a space where numerous sensors are concentrated. One container ship has about 25,000 sensors.“It is equipped with a

Autonomous ships are developing step by step.

Level 1 is where people make decisions directly, but the system assists them.

Step 2 involves remote operation with people on board.

Level 3 is a remotely controlled unmanned vessel, while Level 4 is fully autonomous, with human intervention only in emergency situations.

Currently, development is progressing to the third stage in Europe.

The role of a navigator is to perceive information, assess the situation, avoid collisions, and return to the course through a repeated process.

Autonomous driving systems also mimic this process.

It uses cameras and radar to perceive the surroundings and control speed and direction.

Citing a real-world example, Team Leader Kim Jae-woo said, “In fact, during a 1,500-mile voyage from Mokpo to the Philippines, the autonomous navigation system performed 21 turns,” adding, “This is similar to the number of times a navigator has changed course in an emergency situation.”

On the other hand, it was revealed that carelessness in looking out remains a major risk factor.

This year, oil tanker collisions and groundings have occurred in British waters. These incidents further highlight the need for onboard sensors and autonomous navigation systems.

The obstacles that ships face are varied.

Representative examples include other vessels, small fishing boats, reefs, glaciers, buoys, whales, warships, bridges, and fishing nets. To detect these objects, four main sensors are used: cameras, radar, electronic charts, and AIS (Automatic Identification System).

Cameras are replacing traditional telescopes and are evolving into deep learning-based object recognition. Currently, it can detect up to about 10km with a 180-degree field of view.

The radar rotates every 2.5 seconds and can detect day and night through X-band radar.

Electronic charts provide information on water depth, fishing ports, and fish farms to prevent the risk of grounding.

AIS, GPS, and VHF are responsible for ship location and communication, but with the recent emergence of GPS interference issues, complementary technologies are being demanded.

High-resolution cameras improve object recognition performance, but they also increase deep learning processing costs.

Since radar performance also varies depending on the environment, autonomous driving systems must automatically adjust this.

Ultimately, technological advancements should not simply focus on improving performance; they should also consider economic feasibility and efficiency.

Kim Jae-woo, the head of the division, said, “Autonomous ships are not only a new food source for the shipbuilding industry, but also a core technology that will simultaneously lead maritime safety and logistics innovation.” He added, “Sensor fusion and artificial intelligence-based judgment systems are replacing the experience of navigators and evolving toward reducing accidents and increasing efficiency.”