HD Hyundai to unveil AI vessel autonomy technology in US next month

HD Hyundai will publicly unveil its AI vessel autonomy technology for the first time in the United States on Oct. 14.

Kim Hyung-taek, head of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Naval Research Institute, made the announcement Tuesday at the 2026 International Ship Technology Conference held at Dragon City in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

It will mark the first time HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has showcased the technology in the US. "We are applying unmanned technology — developed together with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and the Republic of Korea Navy — to a test vessel in the United States for the first time," Kim said.

The AI vessel autonomy technology, designed for unmanned surface vessels (USVs), is software that autonomously handles engine operations and safety tasks aboard a ship alongside navigation.

"Autonomous operation is generally understood as the automation of navigation, but on medium- and large-sized vessels, automating navigation alone cannot replace the crew's duties," Kim said. "On medium- and large-sized USVs, not only navigation but also mechanical systems and hazardous tasks must be operated automatically," he added.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will also hold a launching ceremony in Ulsan late next month for a USV jointly developed with US defense AI company Anduril.

The unmanned surface vessel market is expanding as the trend toward unmanned systems on the battlefield accelerates. "Unmanned systems, including surface vessels, have proven their effectiveness on the battlefield," Kim said. "Declining military manpower due to demographic shifts is further hastening the arrival of the unmanned systems market."

"The market outlook is also very promising," he added. "Unmanned systems will generate significant added value not just in defense but in economic terms as well."

South Korean defense companies are racing to develop unmanned surface vessels to capitalize on the growing market. LIG Defence and Aerospace conducted sea trials of its small USV, the Haegeom-S, in June. Hanwha Systems successfully launched its own 30-ton-class unmanned surface vessel around the same time and began full-scale maritime trials.

Not to be left behind, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has partnered with Anduril to develop its own USV. "With the changing battlefield environment and shrinking crew sizes, USV development has become a matter of survival," Kim said.

Kim said Anduril chose HD Hyundai Heavy Industries as its USV collaboration partner because of the company's extensive shipbuilding experience. "HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has designed, built and delivered a total of 5,000 vessels — commercial ships and naval vessels combined — including the destroyer King Jeongjo the Great," he said. "In software-based technologies as well, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and other domestic shipbuilders are leading the way."