On July 23, the South Korean Navy conducted its first combat experiment using a robot crew member at the Naval Education Command's training facility in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, in collaboration with KAIST.
The experiment is part of the Navy's initiative to develop a smart military force based on advanced science and technology, exploring the operational use of robots in naval vessels as part of the 'Navy Sea GHOST' program.
During the experiment, the humanoid robot 'PIBOT,' developed by a research team led by KAIST Professor Shim Hyun-cheol, was tasked with the role of a helmsman. The combat experiment was divided into four phases: 1) land-based simulation, 2) docked vessel testing, 3) daytime navigation at sea, and 4) long-term navigation at sea during both day and night. The experiment conducted on this day was the first phase.
Prior to the combat experiment, the Navy and the KAIST research team designed PIBOT to execute the ship's steering procedures using a large language model (LLM) AI technology that understands the meaning of commands and generates appropriate responses.
As the experiment began, the officer on duty issued a steering command to PIBOT, saying, 'Turn left 5 degrees, hold 330 degrees!' PIBOT repeated the command and adjusted the helm accordingly. Once the vessel maintained a course of 330 degrees, PIBOT reported back to the officer, 'Holding 330 degrees complete!'
This procedure mirrors the confirmation process used by human crew members to ensure clear command execution, and PIBOT performed its tasks in the same manner as a human helmsman would.
Notably, the combat experiment simulated various challenging conditions, including frequent course changes in narrow straits and rough seas, where the vessel's course needed to be maintained. PIBOT faithfully executed the officer's commands throughout these scenarios.
The Navy and KAIST research team plan to analyze and evaluate data from the first phase, including PIBOT's response times and the appropriateness of helm adjustments, to identify areas for improvement. This information will be applied in subsequent phases of the experiment to ensure reliability in safety for actual maritime operations.
Through this combat experiment, the Navy aims to identify the range and potential of tasks that robots can perform, including steering, thereby alleviating the workload of current crew members and proactively addressing future security challenges, such as a decrease in military personnel due to demographic changes.
Brigadier General Kim Hyung-jun, head of the Navy's Force Analysis and Evaluation Division, stated, 'This combat experiment is a first step in analyzing and evaluating whether robots can perform the helmsman's duties, which have traditionally been the domain of human crew members. Based on the results of this experiment, the Navy will explore ways to operate robots on vessels, reducing the workload of crew members while actively responding to changes in the defense environment, including a sharp decline in military personnel and rapid advancements in technology.'
Professor Shim Hyun-cheol, the lead researcher at KAIST, expressed, 'It is very meaningful to be able to experiment with the potential of a physical AI-based humanoid robot to perform the helmsman's duties on naval vessels.'
Meanwhile, the development of PIBOT is part of a future defense technology research and development project funded by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, with 5.7 billion won allocated for research led by KAIST since 2022.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.