Korean Register (KR), together with Hyundai Motor and Kia, HMM, HMM Ocean Service (HOS) and Gosung Engineering, has completed the world’s first onboard demonstration of MobED, Hyundai Motor and Kia’s autonomous mobile robot platform.
The trial took place aboard the multipurpose vessel HYUNDAI DUBAI on 6 July 2026, while it was berthed at the CJ Logistics Jeokhyeon Pier in Changwon, South Korea.
Hyundai Motor and Kia developed the platform and its control technology, KR reviewed relevant international regulations, safety requirements and performance criteria for robotic systems, HMM and HOS oversaw smart vessel operations, management and remote monitoring, and Gosung Engineering handled system integration.
MobED is a compact autonomous mobile robot developed by Hyundai Motor and Kia’s Robotics LAB, using an eccentric wheel-based Drive-and-Lift module that lets each of its four wheels adjust height independently.
This allows the platform to stay level and navigate stably across irregular or inclined terrain, and it can be configured for different roles depending on the equipment mounted on top, including delivery modules, cameras and inspection devices.
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Testing was carried out across two zones aboard HYUNDAI DUBAI. In the open container cargo section, MobED completed linear and curved navigation, variable-speed traversal, route learning and fully autonomous navigation, while low-speed navigation and route learning in the vessel’s passageways were carried out under manual control, reflecting the confined conditions found there.
The trial found that open cargo areas with sufficient space are suitable for robot deployment without further measures, while deploying robots in environments with restricted crew access, such as cargo holds carrying explosive or toxic cargo, showed potential worth exploring further.
Passageways and engine rooms were flagged as areas likely to require supplementary equipment or purpose-scaled variants given their spatial and operational constraints.
MobED was first unveiled as a concept at CES 2022, with its mass-production model introduced at the International Robot Exhibition (IREX) in Japan in December 2025, before receiving the CES 2026 Best of Innovation Award in the Robotics category.
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Dr Minwoo Park, Head of the Advanced Vehicle Platform Division, Hyundai Motor and Kia, said: “This demonstration marks a meaningful step in validating autonomous mobility technology in a vessel environment, as Hyundai Motor and Kia expand the global robotics ecosystem with cross-industry partners. Hyundai Motor and Kia will accelerate this progress by building a data flywheel across their partners, driving both technological advancement and broader deployment into new sectors.”
Daeheon Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of Research and Development, KR, stated: “KR will continue to explore potential onboard applications with its partners, including cargo area monitoring and material transport. Through ongoing collaboration on safety and performance standards and follow-up demonstrations, KR looks forward to supporting the expansion of the smart ship ecosystems.”
For more information:
Korean Register – https://www.krs.co.kr/kor/
