“Revolutionizing Navigation: NTU Singapore Partners with Naval Group for Cutting-Edge Autonomous Vehicle Technologies”
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and the French maritime manufacturer Naval Group, through its subsidiary Naval Group Far East, are joining forces to advance autonomous technologies for vessels and unmanned systems.
Two research pacts were finalized on 28 September 2023 between NTU’s Associate Vice President (Strategy & Partnership) Professor Lam Kwok Yan and Naval Group Far East Managing Director Luc Martinelli. The total funding for these initiatives amounts to S$ 2.3 million.
One undertaking aims to develop a semi-autonomous navigation framework for vessels that automates route planning to evade collisions. The other initiative focuses on creating an AI-driven mission planning tool that enables a fleet of unmanned vehicles to operate cohesively and adjust their trajectories in real-time in reaction to emergencies.
These innovations could be utilized in various domains such as vessel navigation, search and rescue operations, environmental monitoring, and naval task execution.
This collaboration harnesses the scientific prowess of NTU’s Centre for Advanced Robotics Technology Innovation, a S$45 million research facility inaugurated in 2022, alongside Naval Group’s industrial expertise and rich legacy in naval architecture, shipbuilding, and maritime defense solutions. Notably, in its R&D sector “smart naval forces”, its center of excellence in Singapore collaborates closely with the Technical Department and the Autonomous Systems Division.
Through this partnership, Naval Group and NTU aspire to capitalize on their shared expertise and excellence to conduct groundbreaking research and establish a dynamic innovation ecosystem that promotes collaboration between academia and the maritime sector, thus facilitating the rapid transformation of research into practical applications.
NTU Associate Vice President (Strategy & Partnerships) Professor Lam Kwok Yan stated: “As an institution dedicated to producing tangible real-world impact, NTU’s research and development initiatives are driven by industry demands, with the objective of creating innovative solutions that can be utilized by the sector. NTU’s alliance with Naval Group capitalizes on our strengths in robotics and artificial intelligence, serving as yet another illustration of the University’s close collaboration with industry partners to develop sophisticated solutions that can be trialed, showcased, and perfected in real-world scenarios.”
Luc Martinelli, Managing Director of Naval Group Far East remarked: “This collaboration marks a significant advancement in our growth in Singapore. We are privileged to work alongside NTU’s leading researchers and its cutting-edge robotic innovation hub. This partnership with Singapore’s outstanding ecosystems reinforces our commitment to ingraining the finest aspects of science and research in all of our offerings to better serve our clientele.”
