Super-fast ships, totally wired environment by 2010

A ship skimming across ocean surfaces at 250 kilometers per hour and a ubiquitous computing network that has people wired anytime and anywhere will become realities as early as 2010.

Those two visions were in a four-part agenda set by the government for the year 2010 at the 8th Science and Technology-related Ministerial Meeting in Seoul yesterday.

At the meeting chaired by Science and Technology Minister Oh Myung, the government also confirmed that another unmanned satellite control station will be set up in Antarctica by 2011, alongside the King Sejong Station already in place.

The stations are designed to help detect living organisms and marine life in the polar region and study the global climate.

<**1>The policymakers also pledged to commercialize ubiquitous artificial intelligence services.

The government wants to promote production in nine areas comprising mobile handsets, digital televisions and broadcast devices, home network equipment, system-on-chip products and next-generation personal computers.

Others include embedded software, digital content and solutions, vehicle information systems and commercial intelligent robots.

All these areas will contribute to the government`s goal of creating U-Korea, or ubiquitous Korea, that integrates information and communication technology infrastructure with urban development.

People will soon be able to have easy access to high-speed networks and communications services anytime and anywhere through the comprehensive plan.

The government`s other goal is to lay the foundation for achieving $20,000 per capita income, almost double the figure now.

Wing-in-ground effect ships will be built for commercial use. With a speed of 250 kilometers per hour, the vessels are expected to help transport and passengers more quickly and efficiently than air travel.

The government and related industries are expected to invest 170 billion won to begin building 100-ton-capacity WIG ships in 2010.

Officials say the WIG ships, designed to float above the surface by a few meters, will bring new opportunities to the shipbuilding, materials and logistics industries.

Another merit of the flying ship is that it can carry large volumes over great distances and consume less fuel than airplanes.

Experts say the ships could account for up to 10 percent of all freight and passenger traffic starting in 2010.

(sohjung@heraldm.com)



By Yoo Soh-jung