UIPA, the South Korean Information and Communication Technology Promotion Agency, has awarded Kongsberg Digital the contract to supply a fully featured bridge simulator for a new, state-of-the-art autonomous ship research facility in Ulsan, South Korea. The Korean government has committed to invest 130 billion won ($110 million USD) in the project over the next three years, with a goal of starting operations in 2023. The simulation contract is being delivered through maritime ICT convergence specialists eMARINE Global.

The simulator will be used primarily for research and development of navigational equipment and display systems, and will facilitate testing of autonomous vessel technologies in a safe virtual environment before trials in a designated autonomous ship test bed. Based on Kongsberg Digital’s K-Sim Navigation platform, the new system will deliver high-fidelity visual and physical simulation, a radar signal interface function and software for navigation analysis, and equipment testing and evaluation.

The simulator is due for installation in November. The delivery will be in addition to K-Sim Navigation, include development of new software to integrate external inputs such as GPS and wave sensors, as well as an API interface to permit simulation data transfer to other systems. Kongsberg Digital will also supply an area database for the virtual Ulsan Port and a modeling tool enabling new simulator vessel models to be built.