Vurun's 'Lookout' solution, already deployed on roads, industrial sites and shipyards, selected for Singapore smart-port challenge
A South Korean LiDAR-based safety monitoring solution is expanding into the port sector, broadening its reach from roads and industrial sites to shipyards and now maritime terminals.
Vurun Technology announced Tuesday it has been selected to participate in Singapore's PIER71 Smart Port Challenge 2026.
Through the program, the company will apply its smart infrastructure solution, Lookout, to port environments and pursue on-site validation and business partnerships with global maritime and port companies. Lookout applies AI recognition technology to three-dimensional data collected by LiDAR sensors to detect, classify and track workers, vehicles and equipment. The system analyzes each object's position, speed and direction of movement, enabling it to identify hazardous situations — such as a worker entering an equipment operating zone or a vehicle and pedestrian on a collision course.
Sensor placement and detection range can be configured to suit each environment. At port intersections, the system detects vehicles and workers in blind spots that are difficult for drivers to see from the cab. At shipyards, it monitors workers approaching large transport equipment and links to warning systems.
LiDAR enables stable object recognition even at night or in outdoor settings with wide variations in lighting. Because the system relies on three-dimensional distance data rather than image-based personal identifiers such as faces or colors, it allows for precise safety monitoring.
Vurun also secured a shipyard demonstration opportunity this year after its LiDAR-based smart traffic control system for yards was selected in a smart shipbuilding and marine technology competition organized by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. The company has steadily expanded its deployment from roads and industrial sites to shipyards, and now to ports.
"Ports and shipyards are environments where the movements of large equipment and workers are intricately intertwined, making real-time awareness of positions and proximity critical," said Kim Jae-gwang, chief executive of Vurun. "Through Lookout, we will convert on-site movement into data that can be used for safety management and logistics operations, and develop an application model suited to actual operating conditions in Singapore."
freiheit@heraldcorp.com
