Drone Ship Navigation Guidance Using LiDAR and AI
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional systems for ship navigation guidance require expensive infrastructure and are not adequately equipped to handle sudden changes in marine environments, leading to potential accidents such as collisions.
Innovation Solution
A drone device equipped with a LiDAR device and AI capabilities that collects data on obstacles and marine environments, classifies them, and provides navigation guidance to ships, reducing the need for a centralized control station and enabling direct communication between the drone and ship.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a centralized control station with database and web server is used for ship navigation guidance, then comprehensive marine environment monitoring is achieved, but system-building costs become excessively high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the core navigation guidance function from the complex centralized control station system. The drone device independently performs marine environment monitoring, obstacle detection, and navigation guidance provision directly to ships, eliminating the need for expensive infrastructure including control stations, databases, and web servers while maintaining essential safety functions
Solution Approach 2:
The drone device is designed to autonomously perform multiple functions including autonomous flight along planned sea routes, independent marine environment monitoring, self-directed obstacle detection using LiDAR, AI-based classification of detected objects, and direct communication with ships to provide navigation guidance. This self-service capability eliminates dependence on costly centralized infrastructure
2Ease of operation
If conventional ECDIS systems are used for electronic navigation, then positioning and route setting functions are provided, but manual data updates and system maintenance are required
Solution Approach 1:
The drone performs preliminary marine environment monitoring and obstacle detection along the planned sea route before the ship begins navigation. By advance detecting fishing buoys, marine litter, and other obstacles using LiDAR and AI classification, the system provides upfront navigation guidance information, eliminating the need for manual chart updates during the navigation process
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes real-time feedback communication between the drone and the ship. The drone continuously monitors the marine environment and immediately transmits updated obstacle information and navigation guidance to the ship, allowing dynamic route adjustment without manual intervention or time-consuming data updates
3Measurement precision
If AI classification is applied to images of fishing buoys and marine litter, then obstacle types are accurately determined, but data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an AI-based image classification algorithm as an intermediary between raw image data and obstacle identification. The AI model automatically classifies detected objects into categories such as fishing buoys, marine litter, and dangerous objects, providing accurate obstacle type determination while simplifying the overall data processing pipeline by replacing complex manual analysis with automated intelligent recognition
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution reduces system-building costs and allows for safe navigation even in unfamiliar or rapidly changing marine environments, enhancing safety and reducing the likelihood of accidents.
Implementation Method 1
acquire information of obstacles present on a planned sea route of a ship using, for example, a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) device mounted on a drone
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a drone device for ship navigation guidance and a driving method thereof, and a drone device for ship navigation guidance according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a data collector configured to collect data relating to a marine environment on a planned sea route along which a designated ship navigates, and a controller configured to perform learning of objects in the marine environment by applying an artificial intelligence (AI) program, analyze the (pre-) collected data based on a result of the learning to determine whether the objects are obstacles as a result of analyzing the data, and when the objects are determined as obstacles, further determine whether the obstacles are fixed obstacles or floating obstacles, and send analysis data to the ship.