Companies Join, Including Hubiz and Gamsoft
Four Researchers Conduct Study at 300m Undersea
Gyeongbuk Province announced on the 20th that it has been selected for the national research and development project "Development of Shallow Water Submersible Mobility Technology," organized by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
This project is the first in Korea to develop a manned submersible with independent technology. The total project budget is 43.5 billion KRW, with 36 billion KRW from the national government, 4 billion KRW from local governments (1.2 billion from the province, 2.8 billion from Pohang City), and 3.5 billion KRW from private investment.
The Underwater Robot Demonstration Center of the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, located in Pohang, Gyeongbuk, will conduct research for seven years from 2024 to 2030.
The reason Gyeongbuk was selected for this project is largely due to the presence of the Underwater Robot Demonstration Center of the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) and the Korea Institute of Robot Convergence (KIRO), both specialized research institutions for marine equipment and robotics, located in the province.
Additionally, the well-established infrastructure necessary for the research project, such as the ongoing construction of a real-sea test site in the waters off Yonghan-ri, Buk-gu, Pohang, near the Underwater Robot Demonstration Center, was highly evaluated.
The research and development project will be carried out in three main areas: development of underwater mobility technology, dissemination and support of research results, and establishment of maintenance and servicing facilities. Each research institution and participating company will share responsibilities according to the detailed tasks.
First, the Underwater Robot Demonstration Center of the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology will serve as the lead research institution, responsible for the design and manufacturing of underwater mobility, demonstration and certification, and commercialization.
The Korea Institute of Robot Convergence (Pohang) and the Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (Daejeon) will participate as research institutions responsible for developing the hull control system, operation system, and operation simulator.
Participating companies such as Hubiz (Pohang) and Gamsoft (Pohang) will be responsible for hull design, power pack development, life support system development, operation software and simulator development, and health monitoring system development.
The Gyeongbuk ICT Convergence Industry Promotion Association will be in charge of developing education and training systems and policy development such as certification programs, while Korea Maritime and Ocean University and Tongmyong University will be responsible for developing precision hull control and maneuvering technology and performance testing and evaluation systems.
An official from Gyeongbuk Province stated, "The manned submersible to be completed by 2030 is expected to carry about four people and descend to a depth of 300 meters for various research activities and leisure tourism. Currently, manned submersibles are imported, but if the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries develops the technology, private companies will also be able to enter the submersible construction business, utilizing them for tourism and exporting them to Southeast Asia."
Lee Cheolwoo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, said, "This project is particularly meaningful as it will be carried out with a focus on Gyeongsangbuk-do, Pohang City, and various research institutes and companies," adding, "If a submersible is developed with domestic technology, we will do our utmost to vitalize related industries such as construction, operation, and maintenance of manned submersibles, as well as training specialized personnel."
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