Eight Knot's Autonomous Navigation Technology Used in Demonstration Tests for the 'Demonstration Project for Utilization of Autonomous Marine Vehicles and Underwater Vehicles'

Eight Knot Inc. (Location: Sakai City, Osaka; Representative Director: Yuto Kimura; hereinafter "the Company"), a startup specializing in autonomous ship navigation technology, is pleased to announce that the autonomous navigation technology developed by the Company was used in the demonstration tests for the "Demonstration Project for Utilization of Autonomous Marine Vehicles and Underwater Vehicles," jointly conducted by our partner company FullDepth Co., Ltd. (President and CEO: Satoshi Yoshiga), Toyo Engineering Corporation (President and CEO: Eiji Hosoi), NIPPON STEEL ENGINEERING CO., LTD. (President and Representative Director: Yukito Ishiwa), and OKI Electric Industry Co., Ltd. (President and CEO: Takahiro Mori).

The "Demonstration Project for Utilization of Autonomous Marine Vehicles and Underwater Vehicles" aims to examine data-driven (DX) maintenance models for offshore wind power and create a roadmap for the social implementation of AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles) as a step toward their domestic production and utilization.

In this demonstration test, an ASV (Autonomous Surface Vehicle) and an ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) were used to autonomously acquire data from an observation target modeled after a floating offshore wind power generation facility.

For the ASV, we used our company-owned small vessel, "Eight Knot I," equipped with our autonomous navigation platform, "Eight Knot AI CAPTAIN." The system automatically generated a route to the destination and, by recognizing other vessels and obstacles via cameras and radar, autonomously navigated to the observation target while avoiding collisions. The vessel successfully navigated to the designated position as planned, achieving the objectives of this demonstration test.

Moving forward, the Company will continue to aim for the realization of a society where everyone can utilize the sea safely and efficiently through digital transformation (DX) in the marine sector.

<Details of the Demonstration Project> FullDepth's release regarding the demonstration test: https://fulldepth.co.jp/news/305

About the Cabinet Office's AUV Utilization Demonstration Project: https://www8.cao.go.jp/ocean/policies/auv/auv_pilot_project/pilot_index.html

<About "Eight Knot AI CAPTAIN"> This is an autonomous navigation platform developed by our company. AI detects obstacles and other vessels to automatically avoid them and steer the ship, handling everything from setting safe routes to the destination to automatic berthing and unberthing. It can also be retrofitted to existing vessels. Furthermore, we provide ship intelligence technology in modular units, enabling navigation support functions such as navigation, automatic steering, recognition and avoidance of other vessels, station keeping, automatic berthing/unberthing, and remote monitoring.

About Eight Knot Inc. Eight Knot is a ship autonomous navigation technology startup that promotes "Marine DX" and "robotization of ships," focusing on the development of autonomous navigation technology for small vessels. Through the practical application of autonomous navigation technology, we aim to support ship crews, improve vessel safety, and optimize operational costs, making maritime transport more accessible. Our autonomous navigation platform, "Eight Knot AI CAPTAIN," which uses high-performance sensors and cameras to recognize surrounding conditions and allows AI to automatically select the optimal route, is steadily increasing its implementation in Japan, with plans to enter the North American market in 2027.

Company Name: Eight Knot Inc. Established: March 8, 2021 Officers: Representative Director and CEO Yuto Kimura, Director and CTO Tomoaki Yokoyama Headquarters: S-Cube Main Building Room 313, 130-42 Nagasone-cho, Kita-ku, Sakai City, Osaka Tokyo Office: Kujiraoka Daiichi Building 3C, 1-16-8 Kameido, Koto-ku, Tokyo Hiroshima Office: HIOS HIROSHIMA Room 405, 7-1 Kamihatchobori, Naka-ku, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Business Description: Development and sales of autonomous navigation systems for water mobility Website: https://8kt.jp/ <Official SNS> X: https://x.com/8ktjp Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/8ktjp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/8kt/