Videosoft Provides Real-Time Video Streaming for HD Hyundai's World First Level 3 Autonomous Navigation
The world’s largest shipbuilding company, HD Hyundai, has selected Videosoft’s ultra-low bandwidth live monitoring solution to accelerate the first commercialization of Level 3 autonomous navigation – recently showcasing the world’s first technology for switching control between multiple Remote Operation Centers (ROCs) on large vessels and container ships.
This exciting demonstration indicates a crucial turning point for commercial shipping, guiding the maritime industry towards a future characterized by enhanced safety and efficiency while drastically reducing operational costs, lowering emissions, increasing cargo space, and optimizing ship designs.
Autonomous Vessels Surveillance: A Game Changer for The Shipping Industry
Lowering accidents and injuries caused by human error, improving emergency response times, and enabling better evidence-gathering and decision-making, large autonomous container ships offer complete operational flexibility, enabling longer voyages in hazardous or remote areas without putting lives at risk.
Minimizing costs and maximising reliable connectivity at sea, 24/7 autonomous vessels hold the power to increase future revenue potential. Equipped with the Videosoft Global real-time video streaming solution, large unmanned vessels can ensure regulatory compliance with international standards, smooth operations, and accurate data-driven insights while safely avoiding collisions, equipment failures, piracy threats, and adverse weather conditions – regardless of the level of congestion at the port or waterway, or the constraints posed by visibility or bandwidth.
An official of HD Hyundai said:
“This certification has laid a crucial foundation for the commercialization of autonomous and remote navigation technology. Videosoft Global’s expertise in autonomous video and data delivery expertise, video surveillance, and low latency video streaming has enabled us to successfully conduct the demonstration test. We will continue to proactively respond to global institutions and regulations, such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and take the lead in the international standardization of autonomous navigation technology.”
Stewart McCone, CEO at Videosoft Global, said:
“Integrated into HD Hyundai’s innovative autonomous vessel navigation system, our leading real-time video streaming solutions provide actionable, uninterrupted live streaming at sea, back to headquarters, 24/7.”
“Designed to smoothly integrate with future AI, robotics, UAV, and BVLOS technology, and working alongside top-ranked shipbuilders such as HD Hyundai, this project demonstrates how unmanned technology and ultra-low bandwidth video are driving progress in maritime technology. Achieving approval in principle (AIP) marks a substantial advancement for the shipping industry, as it demonstrates the feasibility of autonomous operation, which was previously unattainable.”
Next Gen Container Ships ┃ What Is Level 3 Autonomous Navigation in Commercial Shipping?
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) defines four levels of autonomy for maritime vehicles. These are:
- Level 1: Ships with automated processes and decision support.
- Level 2: Remotely controlled ships with seafarers on board.
- Level 3: Remotely controlled ships without seafarers on board.
- Level 4: Fully autonomous ships.
Using advanced technologies such as AI, machine learning, and sensors to steer clear of obstacles and chart routes effectively, the IMO aims to have a non-mandatory code in effect by 2025 and a mandatory code by 2028.
From December 23, 2024, to combat sexual assault and harassment (SASH), the majority of commercial vessels in the US will be mandated to install audio and video surveillance in every passageway onboard. Live video surveillance has become an essential tool to meet safety and liability standards at sea, particularly for remote operated ships. It also supports compliance with IMO regulations like SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea), which emphasizes situational awareness. With this in mind, as the shipping industry progresses, video surveillance will likely become a standard requirement for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS).
Revolutionizing Shipbuilding: The Future of Remote Navigation
Over the next 5 years, the global autonomous ships market size is expected to rise by 13.5% – opening up limitless opportunities for both commercial shipping operations and defense organizations worldwide.
From continuous monitoring of cargo areas to help prevent crime and ensure safety compliance to empowering complex military operations to successfully navigate autonomous vessels through minelayer areas, secure real-time surveillance monitoring is essential for long-distance autonomous journeys as it guarantees continuity in remote operations. Real time remote surveillance using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) can also be used to avert incidents of sabotage targeting critical infrastructure, such as the recent incident involving the severing of two undersea fibre-optic telecommunication cables in the Baltic Sea.
Protecting crews, assets, and the environment, Videosoft’s low bandwidth video platform is the ideal solution for handling unexpected situations in real-time, minimizing workplace accidents and eliminating costly communication delays and cyber threats that may arise during remote navigation.
Relying on constant communication with shore-based control centres for updates, instructions, and monitoring, network congestion in busy shipping lanes and wireless links can limit bandwidth capabilities and cause serious communication delays too, impacting navigation, emergency response, or combat and warfare support. Videosoft empowers forward-thinking maritime operations to minimize collision risks, improve operational efficiency, and speed up decision-making with a full suite of advanced real-time visualization and enhancement tools designed to keep complex commercial voyages visually connected no matter what.
Enhancing situational awareness for the effective and secure operation of commercial vessels in previously unreachable locations, in line with the latest regulations governing maritime safety, supplementary features such as high-quality real-time recording and playback guarantee accurate documentation of operational efficiency and detailed incident reporting capabilities. Speeding up how cargo enters and leaves port also supports maritime decarbonisation and digitisation goals and vessel optimization strategies.
Verified in principle by HD Hyundai and Videosoft as technology that meets safety and feasibility standards for autonomous and remote vessel navigation, other key features include:
- AI-ready, real-time monitoring, even in areas with restricted visibility.
- Eliminate MASS signal loss & minimise data usage.
- Monitor multiple areas of interest simultaneously from a single camera.
- The ability to recall and download native high-resolution video and data from the edge, even if the encoded live stream doesn’t provide the detail required.
- Live full edge recording, data storage, auto connect and self-healing capabilities.
- Integrated video monitoring analytics and alerts.
- Secure encrypted gateways (Encoders).
- Simple plug-and-play setup and easy-to-use viewing platform.
About Videosoft Global: Videosoft Global provides reliable, industrial-grade video streaming solutions for environments where network speed is limited and/or variable. Employing highly adaptive video compression and transmission technology with the lowest possible latency, enabling applications such as remote vessel monitoring and operational support, customers can access high-quality, real-time video streams anytime. With connectivity from as little as 1kbps, and a comprehensive suite of features including full, high-quality local recording and market-leading image enhancement tools. In addition, we offer a variety of transmission applications, including video, audio, GPS, and IoT devices.
About HD Hyundai: HD Hyundai is the world’s largest shipbuilding and heavy industries conglomerate. On the foundation of a solid leadership starting as a shipbuilder in 1972 in a small fishing village in Ulsan, HD Hyundai is now progressing to become the most innovative solution provider also in heavy equipment and energy, with businesses ranging from shipbuilding and offshore engineering to construction equipment, refinery, petrochemical, and smart energy management.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Videosoft Global
Email: marketing@videosoftglobal.com
Website: www.videosoftglobal.com
HD Hyundai
Email: bk@hd.com
Website: www.hd.com
Contact information:
Videosoft Global Ltd.: 20-22 Wenlock Road, London, N1 7GU UK; phone: +44 (0) 333 242 0563
HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. Ltd. (KSOE): 477, Bundangsuseo-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea; phone: +82-479-5640
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