Hyundai AutoEver, a software specialist company under Hyundai Motor Group, announced on the 4th that it has signed a development contract with Avikus, HD Hyundai's autonomous ship navigation specialist company, to apply next-generation autonomous driving platforms to ships.
The signing ceremony took place at the HD Hyundai Group Global R&D Center on the same day. Both companies will collaborate to apply Hyundai AutoEver's vehicle software platform, Mobilgene, to Avikus's self-developed autonomous navigation solution for leisure boats, NeuBoat. Avikus's NeuBoat goes beyond monitoring and warning functions, which correspond to navigation assistance levels, by providing navigation and docking information. It also includes navigation control and assistance functions. They plan to proceed with development and quality verification aiming for mass production after 2025.
The main market is the North American leisure boat market. The United States has the largest leisure boat market in the world, accounting for more than 50%. It is estimated that more than 400,000 autonomous navigation solutions can be installed on new or existing boats annually from 2024 to 2030. The global demand for new construction and modification of leisure boats reaches 2 million vessels annually. Since the pandemic, boat construction has increased by more than 40%, rapidly expanding the market, and rapid growth is expected in the autonomous navigation solution market as well.
Kang Seok-ju (from left) Executive Director of HD Hyundai, Lim Yang-nam Executive Director and Head of Convergence Solution Center at Hyundai AutoEver, Seo Jeong-sik CEO of Hyundai AutoEver, Kim Wan-su Vice President of HD Hyundai, Lim Do-hyung CEO of Abicus, and Seo Jeong-woo CSO of Abicus posing for a commemorative photo. Photo by Hyundai AutoEver
Based on the know-how in the ship sector of HD Hyundai, the world's number one ship manufacturer, and the accumulated experience in the vehicle domain of Hyundai AutoEver, they plan to provide advanced autonomous navigation solutions for future mobility to leisure boat users.
Hyundai AutoEver's Mobilgene is a software platform developed based on the global development standard AUTOSAR. It has been applied to more than 200 types of controllers mass-produced in the automotive industry, and its stability has been verified.
Autonomous navigation for boats basically uses technology similar to autonomous driving for vehicles, but there are differences in the application methods. In particular, boats are sensitive to external influences such as wind or currents, making control difficult. Avikus is advancing this technology based on 50 years of accumulated experience from HD Hyundai Group.
Im Dohyung, CEO of Avikus, said, "We expect synergy between Hyundai AutoEver's robust software platform and Avikus's top-level autonomous navigation technology," adding, "We want to open a new paradigm of boat autonomous navigation together."
Im Yangnam, Executive Director and Head of the Convergence Solutions Center at Hyundai AutoEver, explained, "Starting with this contract, we expect to expand the vehicle software platform to other industries such as ships, robotics, and AAM. We will strive to create new value in the mobility sector by generating synergy through the convergence of different industries."
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