It is expected that patrol drones and robots that can implement various AI functions even under low-power constraints by configuring multiple commercial chips used for artificial intelligence inference and 5G communication modules into a single board will contribute to industrial site security management and accident prevention.

The Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI, President Shin Hee-dong) announced on the 2nd that it has successfully developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based autonomous patrol service technology applicable to drones and robots and applied it to industrial sites.

The on-device IoT autonomous patrol service developed by KETI's Autonomous Intelligence IoT Research Center consists of low-power, high-performance hardware and software engines suitable for drone and robot systems.

First, the high-speed intelligence hardware is configured as a single board by packaging multiple commercial chips used for artificial intelligence inference and a 5G module for drone-robot communication, and can implement various artificial intelligence functions required by drones-robots even under low-power constraints.

In addition, the research team developed its own software engine that can predict and observe various risk factors occurring in industrial sites, and is using artificial intelligence-based hardware. It was proven through.

The center completed its first outdoor demonstration using autonomous drones and robots on a site of approximately 30,000 pyeong (approximately 100,000 square meters) within the Goesan factory of semiconductor packaging manufacturer Nepasslawe Co., Ltd. last December, and is planning additional demonstrations in September.

According to KETI's Autonomous Intelligence IoT Research Center, technological development is expected to improve the uncertainty and inefficiency of manned industrial site patrols and prevent industrial disasters and fatalities at an early stage.

Existing manned safety patrols and fixed CCTVs have limited accuracy in disaster prediction due to spatial and temporal constraints and mechanical limitations. However, autonomous patrol robots and drones that can operate 24 hours a day can quickly secure the golden time at disaster sites, enabling more effective initial responses.

“This technology is significant in that it operates with low power even in a 5G environment and can be applied simultaneously to drones and robots,” said Seong Nak-myeong, team leader of the Autonomous Intelligence IoT Research Center, which led the technology development. “The center will focus on developing more advanced industrial site safety services in the future to increase the reliability of the domestic industrial environment.”

Meanwhile, the technology was developed as part of the 'Information and Communications and Broadcasting Technology Development' project led by the Ministry of Science and ICT, with support from the Institute for Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation (IITP) and research collaboration with Nepass Co., Ltd.