Avikus to unveil self-sailing marine taxi in Busan

Avikus, an autonomous ship navigation affiliate of South Korea's HD Hyundai Co., will apply its self-developed autonomous navigation solution to marine taxis that travel between the sea and the city center.

Avikus announced on Thursday that it has recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for eco-friendly and autonomous navigation maritime taxi business with KMCP, a marine taxi operator in Busan Metropolitan City. KMCP plans to operate four marine taxis in downtown Busan starting in 2025.

Under this agreement, Avikus is scheduled to install its autonomous navigation solutions, "NeuBoat Navi" and "NeuBoat Dock."

NeuBoat is a self-sailing solution developed by Avikus for small leisure boats, following its large-scale autonomous navigation solution called "HiNAS" for large vessels. NeuBoat Navi utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) technology to identify the optimal route in real-time, enabling the boat to navigate itself and automatically avoid obstacles. NeuBoat Dock assists with boat docking and maneuvering through 3D surround view monitoring.

"NeuBoat will significantly enhance the safety and convenience of maritime taxis," CEO of Avikus Lim Do-Hyeong said. He expressed plans to expand the scope of self-sailing marine taxis through continuous collaboration with the Busan Metropolitan City government.

Avikus plans to actively promote the commercialization of NeuBoat, starting from major boat shows in the US and Europe in the latter half of this year.

The company previously achieved success in transoceanic crossing by applying self-propelling navigation technology to large vessels, becoming the world's first in this area in June 2022.

Avikus has thus far received orders for its HiNAS solution, which is applicable to more than 300 domestic and international vessels.

Write to Hyung-Kyu Kim at khk@hankyung.com