Automatic Mooring System for Autonomous Ships Named one of the Top 10 Mechanical Technologies of the Year in Korea

- Development of automatic mooring technology for easy and safe anchoring in a port without mooring lines
- Expected commercialization through technology demonstration and safety verification

 The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) announced that the automatic anchoring system for autonomous ships (Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials)—developed as a research and development (R&D) project—was named one of the Top 10 Mechanical Technologies of the Year in Korea.

 MOF has been developing an automated system that links autonomous ships to ground, enabling them to enter and leave ports safely and efficiently (2021-2025, project cost of KRW 28.9 billion). The automatic anchoring system is a technology that can safely moor a ship by utilizing the integrated control technology of vacuum suction pads and hydraulic mechanisms. It is one of the key technologies for linking autonomous ships and smart ports.

 Nowadays, for a ship to moor in a port, workers on land need to secure the ship to the port with thick ropes (mooring lines). As such, the mooring work requires considerable manpower and time. The newly developed automatic mooring system is expected to reduce the work time and increase speed by anchoring autonomous ships without the help of land-based personnel by using a vacuum suction pad to secure the ship to the port. The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials has already signed a technology transfer agreement with a vessel equipment company that has recognized the excellence of this technology.

 “If the safety of the newly developed automatic mooring system is verified and commercialized, we expect it to help autonomous ships enter and exit ports safely and efficiently in the future. We hope to review the possibility of applying it to general ships and contribute to improving the safety and efficiency of ports,” Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kang Do-hyung said.