"Sensor fusion technology, combining performance, economy, and durability, will become a key competitive edge in the era of autonomous ships."

At the '2025 10th Advanced Sensor Forum' held on December 4, Jang Hwa-seop, Director of the Korea Register of Shipping Center, gave a presentation on the topic of technical cooperation plans for core centers of autonomous ships.

Center Director Jang Hwa-seop emphasized the importance of sensor technology applied to ships, saying, “Ships are not just a means of transportation, but are like a nation.”

Director Jang first explained the special nature of the ship environment.

Unlike cars, ships must sail the sea for 15 to 50 days or more once they board, so the durability and stability of the sensors are of utmost importance, he said.

He said, “If a car’s rear detection sensor breaks down, you can just take it to a car repair shop, but a ship can’t be repaired in the vast ocean,” and cited long-term reliability of the sensor as a key issue.

He also pointed out that ship fuels are diversifying into LNG, ammonia, methanol, and hydrogen in accordance with the International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s carbon neutrality regulations.

These propulsion devices mustA sensor with explosion-proof certification is required.

“Sensors that have explosion-proof certification are five to seven times more expensive, but they cannot be installed on ships unless they pass insurance and international certification,” explained Director Jang.

The presentation also revealed a list of sensors that will actually be applied to ships.

The hull is equipped with fiber-optic-based FBG sensors, pressure sensors, and vibration sensors, while radar, lidar, CCTV, wind direction and anemometer, and depth sensors are essential for navigation.

Flow meters, current and voltage sensors, sound level meters, and vibration sensors are installed in the engine room.

In particular, the demand is so high that more than 40 vibration sensors are installed on just one engine.

Temperature and humidity sensors, ultrasonic sensors, and gas sensors are applied to cargo containers to ensure the safety of refrigerated cargo.

Director Jang also mentioned data processing issues.

Autonomous ships produce 102 terabytes of data per day.

On the other hand, in a satellite communication environment, only 10 to 20 gigabytes can be transmitted per day.

Accordingly, he emphasized the need for a method that minimizes data from the sensor itself and embeds an AI chip to transmit only the optimal results.

He also introduced the case of Google's self-driving car, Waymo, in the US.

Waymo vehicles are equipped with about 10 lidar sensors and 20 CCTV cameras to ensure stability.

Director Jang said, “While our country is trying to optimize by reducing the number of sensors, we need an approach that prioritizes commercialization by equipping various sensors.”

Finally, he said, “The business model of a single sensor is important, but convergence is also important. “There is a huge industrial demand for monitoring and solutions through this platform,” he said.