Orca AI and Samsung Heavy team up to speed autonomous shipping push

Orca AI has entered a strategic partnership with Samsung Heavy Industries aimed at accelerating the deployment of autonomous vessel technology across both newbuilds and existing fleets.

Under the agreement, Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) will integrate Orca AI’s situational awareness platform into vessels equipped with its Samsung Autonomous Ship (SAS) system, while Orca AI will incorporate SHI technologies such as its SVISION berthing assistance and autonomous speed control systems into its own platform.

The companies plan to jointly develop integrated autonomous navigation, berthing and speed optimisation packages covering retrofit projects as well as new construction.

“Bringing together SHI’s deep expertise in vessel design and integration with our AI-driven situational awareness platform creates a practical path to scaling autonomous capabilities,” said Orca AI chief executive Yarden Gross.

The collaboration also includes joint research and operational data sharing designed to improve real-time decision-making, adaptive navigation and fuel optimisation through large-scale fleet learning.

While many autonomous shipping concepts have remained limited to demonstrations, the tie-up combines a major shipbuilder’s onboard systems with a proven AI platform already operating on more than 1,200 vessels worldwide.

By targeting both the newbuild and retrofit markets, the partnership broadens the pathway for adoption. The use of large-scale operational data could also accelerate the development of increasingly autonomous vessel functions, bringing practical AI-assisted navigation closer to mainstream shipping operations.

source : splash247