전주대학교

Professor Kim Dong-hyun's Team Succeeded in Commercializing the World's First 4G/5G LTE Disaster Drone
- 'Giga Disaster Drone' applied to disaster safety sites in Taebaek, Gangwon Province, 'Minimizing Disaster Damage' -
- The Giga Disaster Drone greatly improves its ability and cognitive distance to perform missions -

On the 3rd, Jeonju University announced that Professor Kim Dong-hyun's team succeeded in commercializing 4G/5G disaster drones for the first time in the world. It has been about a year since South Korea achieved commercialization of 5G for the first time in the world, and it is the first time in the world that it has achieved commercialization of disaster drones.

A team led by Professor Kim Dong-hyun in the Department of Fire and Safety Engineering at Jeonju University developed 4G/5G LTE network-based disaster drones (hereinafter referred to as "Giga disaster drones") and ground control systems as research results for the development of disaster safety services by the Giga Korea Research Center, the governmental department, and applied them to disaster safety sites in Taebaek, Gangwon Province for the first time in the world.

Unlike conventional drones that use WiFi frequency communication using existing regulator, giga-disaster drones use 4G/5G communication network, so these drones have no restriction on steering distance, low risk of collision between different drones, high-quality video transmission, and capability of completing various missions.

Operating in a 5G LTE environment that is more than 20 times faster than 4G communications, the "Giga Disaster Drone" can also control drones in Taebaek from Seoul, transmit high-quality images in real time, as well as deliver voice information via drone speakers.

In addition, it is possible to fly just by marking the route on the map, allowing a person who controls to operate multiple drones with a single tablet laptop, and equipped with obstacle avoidance features, which greatly improved the safety and convenience of drone controlling.

Professor Kim Dong-hyun, who developed this commercialized product, said, "We cannot experience 5G LTE performance directly because 5G LTE modules for drones have not been commercialized globally yet, but we have designed flight control and video transmission systems for 4G/5G LTE to be used as replacement of 5G modules at any time."

In addition, he said, "This giga disaster drone was commercialized in the 3rd stage of drone control and mission in the 4G/5G LTE environment, and if 5G commercial modules are applied in earnest in the future, it will be possible to develop 5 stages of unmanned drones that can carry out missions with only the first order and be used in not only disaster areas but also all fields of industries."