BOTIX Autonomous Navigation System Receives CCS Approval in Principle

On June 13, 2025, the independently developed BOTIX Autonomous Navigation System received an Approval in Principle (AIP) certificate from China Classification Society (CCS). It is the first autonomous navigation system in China to complete CCS design review and prototype validation for supporting the requirements of end-to-end autonomous navigation (Nn) and autonomous vessel operation (A1) under the Rules for Intelligent Ships.

The certificate presentation ceremony was held at the CCS booth during the Third Tianjin International Shipping Industry Expo. Fang Tao, Deputy General Manager of the CCS Tianjin Branch, and Liu Wen, Vice President of BOTIX, attended the ceremony.

As a full member of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), CCS is widely recognized across the global shipping and shipbuilding industries. During the assessment, a CCS expert panel conducted rigorous reviews of drawings and technical documentation, together with approval testing, in accordance with the Rules for Intelligent Ships, the Rules for Classification of Inland Waterways Ships, and the Guidelines for Survey of Additional Marks for Autonomous Navigation of Ships. The AIP confirms that the system design complies with the applicable CCS requirements.

The approved BOTIX Autonomous Navigation System supports real-time route planning, dynamic obstacle detection, automatic docking and undocking, and remote monitoring and operation. It combines high-precision environmental perception, machine-learning capabilities, and an end-to-end data closed loop. The system can be integrated with different vessel types to improve navigational safety and operational efficiency while supporting energy conservation and emissions reduction.

Auto Spring, BOTIX’s independently developed inland electric test vessel for end-to-end autonomous navigation, was successfully launched in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, on April 10. Equipped with the autonomous navigation system covered by the AIP, the vessel was scheduled to begin full-scale autonomous navigation trials.

Maritime autonomy is a key enabler of the shipping industry’s digital, intelligent, and green transformation. Receiving the first AIP of its kind in China represents important recognition of BOTIX’s R&D capabilities and a notable advance in China’s development of intelligent vessel technologies.

BOTIX will continue to advance intelligent vessel technologies, promote the commercial deployment of autonomous navigation systems, and support the development of a greener and more intelligent shipping ecosystem.