Avikus, South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai’s autonomous navigation startup, named Paul Petani managing director, North America. He will be responsible for establishing the brand and growing a team in the United States and Canada.
Petani has held positions at IoT startup Fell Technology, Mercury Marine, First Alert Fire & Security, and Polaris Industries. “I am very excited for this opportunity with such a ground-breaking venture,” Petani said in a statement. “This truly revolutionary technology is set to change the face of recreational boating forever.”
Avikus’ technology is centered on its NeuBoat autonomous system. A Navigation Assistant System lets a boat recognize and assess on-water situations in real time and without human intervention through “deep learning and sensor fusion algorithms.” The technology also includes a Docking Assistant System.
Petani will open a U.S. office, oversee the support of recently established partnerships, and develop new collaborations.
