The '2022 Unmanned Vehicle Industry Expo,' a specialized business exhibition for unmanned vehicles, was held, providing a venue to share the latest technology trends and knowledge regarding unmanned vehicles and to discuss related policies. It is expected to foster cooperation among industry, academia, and research institutes and serve as a stepping stone toward becoming a powerhouse in the unmanned vehicle industry.

The 2022 Unmanned World Congress (UWC), hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, will be held at COEX in Seoul for three days from August 17 to 19.

Unmanned vehicles are mobile vehicles capable of autonomous driving and remote control, and depending on the operating environment, they include drones, personal air vehicles (PAVs), mobile robots, and unmanned vessels. As a culmination of advanced technologies such as AI, robots, and sensors, it can be applied to various fields. The main exhibits at this event cover the air (unmanned aerial vehicles, drone components and services, aerial equipment), land (autonomous vehicles, ground mobile robots, etc.), and marine (unmanned vessels, unmanned underwater robots, marine equipment, etc.). Side events will also be held, including various conferences covering national R&D policies related to unmanned mobility, as well as practical training and forums.

At the event held at COEX on the day of the event, the Ministry of Science and ICT promoted its research and development achievements, while the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) introduced an unmanned aerial vehicle for continuous disaster monitoring. The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute showcased an integrated response operation system and intelligent neutralization technology to prevent damage from illegal drones.

At the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy booth, LIG Nex1 exhibited the development status of a hydrogen fuel cell-based large cargo drone. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute shared the results of its eVTOL aircraft and 5G-based smart farming demonstration projects. In addition, the results of the delivery drone demonstration project targeting units in islands, mountainous areas, and remote regions were also exhibited.

Defense drones and robots from the Air Force, Army, and Navy were displayed at the Ministry of National Defense booth. The Army showcased its AI dronebot combat system under the banner of 'Army TIGER,' the Navy displayed an AI manned-unmanned composite system, and the Air Force displayed a manned-unmanned combat aircraft composite system, demonstrating their defense capabilities based on advanced science and technology.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport exhibited commercialized aircraft and technologies together with Goyang City, Jeju City, and drone companies receiving support through the 'Demonstration City Construction Project' and the 'Regulatory Sandbox Project'.

In addition to government agencies, numerous drone companies such as Korea Carbon and Taekyung Electronics also participated, showcasing the latest technologies with domestically produced drones, including delivery drones, software, and an integrated control platform for unmanned aerial vehicles.

Taekyung Electronics develops multi-purpose modular drones for defense and civilian businesses with the goal of advancing next-generation drone industry technology. It is focusing on the development of hydrogen fuel cell-based VTOL cargo drone technology.

Along with drone aircraft, numerous drone-related platform service providers also participated in the exhibition. Pablo Air is establishing a drone center and promoting eco-friendly delivery drone services.

Springcloud provides autonomous driving-related services as an autonomous mobility service, including autonomous shuttles and robot taxis, autonomous driving big data services, autonomous driving evaluation services, and AI solutions.

In his opening remarks, Oh Tae-seok, First Vice Minister of Science and ICT, stated, “The unmanned vehicle industry is evolving into a strategic technology by converging with new technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, such as AI, 5G, and big data, thereby improving our quality of life, enhancing the efficiency of corporate operations, and expanding its scope of application to include space and planetary exploration.” He added, “To foster the unmanned vehicle industry as a new industry, we will continue our efforts to strengthen technological competitiveness, such as securing source technologies, create an initial market based on public demand, and build an industrial ecosystem, including training specialized personnel.”