Invest KOREA

Korea on Thursday unveiled an advanced unmanned surface vehicle for ocean observation developed by the country’s indigenous technology, three years after its predecessor made its first appearance in 2014.

The Aragon 2 with more enhanced functions can sail the seas alone and be used to monitor fishing operations, observe ocean exploration, prevent pollution, and promote search and rescue activity, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries that has led a 27 billion won ($24.9 million) project to develop the unmanned surface vehicle since 2011. The Aragon 1 was first introduced in 2014.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering presented the upgraded multi-purpose intelligent unmanned surface vehicle at the Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology research center in Geoje, a city in South Gyeongsang Province. The Aragon 2 - which refers to sea dragon - is shaped in the form of a slim boat and is 8 meters long, 2.3 meters wide, and weighs 3 tons. The vehicle can move at the speed of up to 43 knots or 79 kilometers per hour and can tolerate waves with the height of 2.5 meters. The Aragon 2 can be either remotely controlled or navigate autonomously.

During the test on Thursday, the Aragon 2 left a nearby quay on its own and sailed at the speed of about 10 knots per hour following the pre-set route. When it was approached by other vessels in the front and left, the Aragon 2 changed its direction and avoided collision by automatically detecting the ships with internally installed radar and camera sensors.


[Photo provided by The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries]

By Moon Jae-yong and Lee Eun-joo

Copyrights Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea. All Rights Reserved.

Source: Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea (Nov. 24, 2017)