Korea Maritime & Ocean University (President Ryu Dong-geun) will host the 'Regatta X 2026 2nd International Marine AI Mobility Competition' on November 18, featuring faculty and students from the University of Oxford alongside university students from home and abroad. This international event verifies artificial intelligence (AI)-based autonomous navigation and driving technologies in real-world environments, utilizing the actual open waters and breakwater roads near the university campus.
The first competition (OceanX 2025), held at the same location last November, drew about 1,500 participants. This year, the event is expanding into an international competition featuring participants from the University of Oxford as well as domestic and international universities and related organizations. Leveraging its educational and research environment adjacent to the sea and real roads, Korea Maritime & Ocean University plans to foster the event into a global marine AI demonstration platform where academia and industry can develop and test technologies.
The competition consists of three categories. R1 Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) Racing (Regatta X) is an event where USVs equipped with an autonomous navigation system combining RTK-GNSS and inertial navigation systems autonomously complete a designated route while responding to changing marine environments such as currents, wave heights, and wind. A total of 10 teams, including Oxford University, Korea Maritime & Ocean University's Maritime College, and the College of Ocean Science and Technology Convergence, will compete at the maritime training site.
R2 Autonomous Vehicle Racing (Physical AI) will take place on the actual breakwater road near the campus using the ERP-42 autonomous driving platform. R3 KISA-KMOU Maritime Swarm Drone Security Demonstration will showcase swarm operation technology where a Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) surface craft acts as a mother ship, and multiple small surface drones built by students engage targets on the water's surface before returning to the mother ship.
This competition is expected to serve as a venue for technology demonstration linked with Busan Metropolitan City's vision of becoming a global marine AI city and the national physical AI project for the Jinhae New Port. The university plans to promote international exchanges and joint research through mutual visits with Oxford University in 2027.
The event will begin with an opening ceremony at 2:00 PM, followed sequentially by R1 (2:30 PM), R3 (3:20 PM), and R2 (3:45 PM), and will conclude with an award ceremony and commemorative photo session at 4:30 PM. Online and offline congratulatory remarks are scheduled to be delivered by attendees including President Ryu Dong-geun, Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo, National Assembly Member Ahn Cheol-soo (Chairman of the People Power Party's Special Committee for Leap to Top 3 AI Global Powerhouses), Ha Jung-woo, Vice Chairperson of the Presidential Committee on Artificial Intelligence, Professor Perla Maiolino of Oxford University, and Professor Maziar Zarrehparvar of Oxford University.
President Ryu Dong-geun stated, "Regatta X 2026 is a meaningful occasion to test artificial intelligence and marine mobility technologies beyond classrooms and laboratories, directly in actual seas and roads. We will establish this as an international demonstration platform that creates the talent and technology to lead the future marine industry alongside global universities and industries." Right in front of the school, a venue has been created where autonomous navigation technology, previously confined by regulations and a lack of verification sites, can run directly on real seas and roads. The key will be whether this competition can go beyond research validation to connect with Busan's marine AI ecosystem and serve as a stepping stone for young technological talents.
