Avikus unveils self-sailing leisure vessel tech NeuBoat at US ship event

Avikus, an autonomous ship navigation affiliate of South Korea's shipbuilding, heavy equipment, machine and petroleum giant HD Hyundai Co., on Sunday said it introduced the autonomous navigation system NeuBoat at the Miami International Boat Show in Florida.

The term "NeuBoat" combines the terms "neuron" and "boat" to convey the meaning of an artificial intelligence-based self-sailing solution for ships that recognizes, judges and adjusts to conditions of a range of sea environments like human neurons.

Avikus recruited participants for NeuBoat beta testing from among those wishing to attend this event. Those selected will be the first to experience the new boat, whose commercial application is scheduled for the second half of the year.

"NeuBoat is the world's most advanced solution for autonomous leisure boats," said Avikus CEO Lim Do-hyeong. "We plan full-fledged efforts to target the US, which occupies over 60% of the global boat market."

Write to Jae-Fu Kim at hu@hankyung.com