ClassNK Greenlights SHI’s Autonomous Navigation Assistance System

ClassNK has issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) for Autonomous Navigation Assistance System ‘SAS’ developed by Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI).

Samsung Autonomous Navigation Assistance System (SAS) is partially Autonomous Navigation System (ANS) including the functions of situational awareness through sensor fusion and electronic navigational chart information, collision and grounding risk assessment, collision and grounding avoidance.

ClassNK is involved in various demonstration projects and continuously works to develop necessary safety standards, in order to support the development and implementation of automated/autonomous operation technologies from a safety perspective.

For the concept design of SAS, ClassNK conducted its safety review based on the requirements of ‘Guidelines for Automated/Autonomous Operation of ships’.

Having confirmed its compliance with the requirements, including clarification of tasks to be automated, and backup systems, ClassNK issued the AiP.

ClassNK is also in the process of examining SAS for Technology Qualification (TQ) certification, which indicates that the new technology has been verified to be as acceptably safe as the technologies designed under existing rules and standards.