MOU with Busan Maritime Taxi Operators
'NewBoat' Installed on Maritime Taxis
Supporting Autonomous Navigation and Docking Assistance
Abicus, a specialized company in autonomous ship navigation under HD Hyundai, will apply its self-developed autonomous navigation solution to maritime taxis operating between the sea and urban areas.
Abicus announced on the 20th that it recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with KMCP, the maritime taxi operator in Busan Metropolitan City, for an eco-friendly and autonomous maritime taxi business.
According to this agreement, Abicus will equip Busan maritime taxis with the autonomous navigation solutions 'NeuBoat NAVI' and 'NeuBoat DOCK.' KMCP plans to operate four eco-friendly maritime taxis in the original downtown area of Busan starting in 2025.
NeuBoat is an autonomous navigation solution developed by Abicus for small leisure boats, following the large commercial vessel autonomous navigation solution 'HiNAS.'
NeuBoat NAVI uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to identify the optimal route in real-time, enabling the boat to navigate autonomously and automatically avoid obstacles. NeuBoat DOCK assists with docking and undocking through 3D surround view monitoring.
Perspective view of the future maritime taxi equipped with Abicus autonomous navigation solution [Photo by HD Hyundai]
Lim Dohyung, CEO of Abicus, said, "NeuBoat will dramatically enhance the safety and convenience of maritime taxis," adding, "We plan to expand the base of autonomous maritime taxis through continuous cooperation with Busan City."
Abicus plans to actively commercialize NeuBoat starting with major boat shows held in the United States and Europe in the second half of this year. Previously, in June 2022, Abicus successfully completed a transoceanic voyage by applying autonomous navigation technology to a large vessel for the first time in the world, and to date, it has received orders for approximately 300 HiNAS systems from domestic and international shipping companies.
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