Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) announced on September 25 that it has successfully completed a trans-Pacific demonstration of its proprietary AI-based autonomous navigation system, known as SAS (Samsung Autonomous Ship).
The technology was tested onboard Evergreen Marine’s 15,000 TEU container vessel during a voyage from Oakland, United States, to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, conducted between August 25 and September 6.
According to SHI, SAS independently analyzed weather conditions every three hours and executed 104 optimized navigation recommendations along with 224 autonomous control actions across the 10,000-kilometer route—without requiring human intervention. The vessel successfully arrived on schedule while achieving measurable fuel savings.
Maintaining scheduled arrival times is a critical factor for global shipping companies, as delays caused by adverse weather or unforeseen conditions can lead to disruptions in supply chains and higher logistics costs. SHI highlighted that the demonstration proved the system’s potential in enhancing operational efficiency and reliability.
Going forward, SHI plans to expand its collaboration with Evergreen to further refine SAS, including real-time optimization of vessel speed and routing.
“Samsung’s SAS has evolved from a collision-avoidance support tool into a system capable of autonomously managing economic speed and ensuring punctual arrivals,” said Lee Dong-yeon, Head of SHI’s Marine Research Institute. “As an eco-friendly solution, it is expected to contribute significantly to fuel efficiency and sustainability in the global shipping and logistics industry.”
