The world’s first Class and Flag approval for AI-based fire monitoring system in shipbuilding industry has been given to Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).

Hyundai Heavy Industries Group independently has developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based safety management/monitoring system (HiCAMS) and obtained classification and flag Approval-in-Principal (AIP) for the first time in the shipbuilding industry.

This new method will be one of the core technologies to manage and control safety aboard next-generation smart ships and autonomous ships. The technology has been approved by the Korean Register of Shipping (KR, Class Society), and also approved by the Liberian Registry (Flag State administration). That will lay the foundation for expanding the application of this technology to the global fleet, and providing valuable increases in vessel safety.

This AIP is the world’s first classification certification for computer vision-based AI solutions for ship’s internal fire monitoring. The technology provides a modern replacement option for existing fire monitoring sensors with an AI-based early fire monitoring system that combines image recognition/processing technology, ship interior and fire big data, and advanced AI algorithms. The fire monitoring sensor used in the past takes up to 2 minutes to detect a flame or smoke by the sensor.

The developed system based on video/deep learning has greater speed and accuracy of fire detection by enabling immediate recognition.

“It is meaningful in that it is the first shipbuilding organisation to incorporate artificial intelligence into the field of ship safety management,” said an official from Hyundai Heavy Industries Group. “Starting with the development of this AI-based fire monitoring system, we will pre-empt the future Autonomous Ship era by expanding it to the entire ship safety field,” he added.

Hyundai Heavy Industries Group is planning to develop technologies gradually that can detect various accidents and emergency situations, such as personal accidents, oil leaks, dampness, container overturns, that may occur in inside and outside of the ship during ship operation.

This AI-based surveillance system is expected to be actively applied as an essential system for safe navigation, and further applicability aboard autonomous ships that are currently being developed.

Source: Seatrade Maritime