Drones can be utilized as a replacement force for soldiers for reconnaissance, surveillance, and other tasks.
Real-time verification of Full HD high-definition drone footage
LG Uplus announced on the 27th that it successfully completed a U+ Smart Drone reconnaissance flight at the joint civilian-military-police-industry-academic-research 'Drone Operating System Development Seminar' hosted by the 31st Division.

On this day, the 31st Infantry Division, the demonstration unit for the Army's 'Dronebot Combat System' combat experiment, held the 'Civil-Government-Military-Police-Industry-Academia-Research Drone Operating System Development Seminar' at its division headquarters and explored ways to utilize drones as general-purpose advanced military power.

In the first part of the seminar, discussions were held on the 'Plan for Combat Experiments on the Regional Defense Division Dronebot Combat System,' the 'Border Operation System by Coastal Surveillance Mobile Units,' and the 'System for Conducting Counter-Infiltration Operations in Inland Areas.' In the subsequent second part, presentations and discussions took place on the 'Operational Concept of Drones as a General-Purpose Force for Civil, Government, Military, and Police Forces,' and 'Drone Development Trends and Utilization Plans.'

seminarLG Uplus, which was in charge of the smart drone demonstration, showcased U+ Smart Drone reconnaissance flights using the U+ Smart Drone control system and video relay system, including high-resolution camera zoom in/out, detection of intruders through a camera inside a smoke screen, autonomous flight in obscured vision, and search of areas that are difficult to verify directly, such as coastal cliffs.

U+ Smart Drone consists of a 'cloud control system' that allows remote control of the drone and camera and tracking of the drone's flight path, and a 'video relay system' that can transmit video captured by the drone's camera in real time.

The drone demonstration on this day began with the U+ Smart Drone autonomously flying on the lawn in front of the 31st Division headquarters, located about 500 meters away from the indoor auditorium, and transmitting and displaying real-time video of the scene.

Conventional drones required a device to store photos or videos taken during flight and had the disadvantage that data could only be checked upon a safe return. However, the U+ Smart Drone Video Relay System enables on-site monitoring by transmitting Full HD high-definition video captured by the drone in real-time to various devices.

The flight demonstration under obscured visibility was conducted on a lawn where visibility was restricted due to thick smoke from smoke grenades. LG Uplus succeeded in detecting intruders through the camera of a smart drone flying autonomously in areas with limited visibility and providing real-time video to a control system.

This has made it possible to deploy drones to dangerous areas with restricted human access when an incident occurs, enabling faster response and rapid suppression.

In addition, the demonstration showcased a search of a location simulated as a coastal cliff, which is difficult for unit members to search directly. Using the high-resolution camera mounted on the drone, search vulnerabilities can be inspected from the air, and zoom-in/zoom-out functions can be utilized to verify details and respond quickly.

Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jae-hoon, the intelligence staff officer of the 31st Division who organized the seminar, said, “Drones can be used for general purposes such as reconnaissance, surveillance, and transportation, not just combat,” adding, “It is time for the civilian, government, military, police, industry, academia, and research sectors to work together to develop an integrated drone operation system.”

Cho Won-seok, Senior Vice President and Head of LG Uplus’s Corporate New Business Group, stated, “We plan to continuously enhance U+ Smart Drone to enable effective and stable control,” adding, “We plan to provide the best drone services to various industrial sectors.”

Meanwhile, about 150 people attended the seminar, including Major General So Young-min, Commander of the 31st Division; Lee Byung-hoon, Vice Mayor of Gwangju Culture and Economy; Kim Kyu-hyun, Chief of the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency; Choi Dae-beom, Head of the Emergency Medical Services and Rescue Division of the Fire Safety Headquarters; Professor Lee Dong-jin of Hanseo University; Professor Lee Ki-hoon of Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology; and Professor Lee Sang-hoon of Donggang University, as well as officials from related organizations and drone experts, to discuss development plans for an integrated drone operation system involving the private, government, military, police, industry, academia, and research sectors.