Hyundai Motor and Kia's mobile robot platform "MobED" has successfully verified its autonomous driving performance aboard an operating vessel. This demonstration, the first of its kind in the world, is expected to accelerate the era of "smart ships," in which robots are deployed in a vessel's cargo areas to perform tasks such as safety inspections and material transport.
According to industry sources on the 17th, the Korean Register (KR), together with Hyundai Motor and Kia, HMM, HMM Ocean Service (HMM OS), and Goseong Engineering, recently conducted the world's first onboard driving demonstration of MobED aboard a multipurpose vessel (the HYUNDAI DUBAI) berthed at CJ Logistics' dedicated steel pier (Jeokhyeon Pier) in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province.
The demonstration focused on verifying whether an autonomous driving robot, developed primarily for land use, could be applied in the constantly rocking environment of a ship.
MobED is a mobile robot platform developed by Hyundai Motor and Kia. It applies technology in which each of its four wheels moves independently (Drive-and-Lift, or DnL), allowing it to keep its upper section level and drive stably even over inclines, thresholds, and amid a ship's rocking. When equipped with delivery equipment, inspection equipment, cameras, and the like, it can perform various tasks depending on the purpose.
In the demonstration, straight and curved driving, low- and high-speed driving, route learning, and autonomous driving functions were all implemented normally in the ship's cargo area. In the narrow onboard passageways, route learning and low-speed driving succeeded, but due to spatial constraints, the robot was operated by remote manual control instead of autonomous driving.
The participating organizations explained that the demonstration confirmed robots can be deployed in wide cargo areas without any separate facility improvements, and confirmed the potential for their use even in places difficult for workers to access, such as cargo zones loaded with explosive or toxic materials. However, they also identified the challenge that additional sensors or the development of a smaller platform would be needed in engine rooms or narrow passageways.
In this project, Hyundai Motor and Kia developed the MobED platform and control technology, while KR was responsible for reviewing robot-related international regulations and safety and performance standards. HMM and HMM Ocean Service handled smart ship operation and remote monitoring, and Goseong Engineering took charge of robot system integration to carry out the technology verification.
MobED was first unveiled as a concept model at CES in 2022, then presented as a mass-production model at the International Robot Exhibition (IREX) in Japan last year. At CES, the world's largest electronics and IT exhibition, held in the United States this year, it won the top innovation award in the robotics category, gaining recognition for its technology.
Park Min-woo, president of Hyundai Motor and Kia, said, "This demonstration is a case that confirmed the applicability of autonomous driving technology in a ship environment," adding, "Through the establishment of a data flywheel, we will accelerate the advancement of the technology and the expansion of its application areas."
Kim Dae-heon, vice president of KR, said, "We plan to work with related organizations to flesh out various ways to use robots aboard ships, such as monitoring cargo areas and transporting materials," and added, "Through the establishment of safety and performance standards and follow-up demonstrations, we will support the spread of the smart ship ecosystem."
