South Korean Navy Conducts First Combat Experiment with Humanoid Robot Helmsman

By Kim Hyun-soo

SEOUL, July 24 (Yonhap) -- The Navy conducted its first combat experiment involving a humanoid robot taking over as helmsman as part of its bid to incorporate robots to counter a shrinking pool of military manpower, the armed service said Friday.

The combat experiment took place at a training command facility in Changwon, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Thursday, featuring a robot under development by a research team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, the Navy said.

It marked the first time that a humanoid robot replaced a crewman to take over the bridge helm duty.

During the experiment, the robot named "Pibot" successfully executed steering orders under various simulated scenarios, including in narrow waters, during inclement weather conditions and at nighttime.

The Navy plans to use the results of the experiment to identify tasks that can be performed by robots and reduce the workload of sailors.

The move comes as part of the Navy's bid to develop a maritime manned-unmanned combat teaming system to build a "smart military" driven by advanced technology.

Meanwhile, the development of the robot has been underway since 2022 as part of an initiative by the Agency for Defense Development, with the state arms procurement agency investing some 5.7 billion won (US$3.8 million) in the project.