Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
Gov't to utilize drones to monitor real-time effects of heavy rainfall
Seen is Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute's (ETRI) Data Network AI+ drone monitoring system that can monitor rivers and streams in real time. Captured from ETRI's webpage
By Baek Byung-yeul
By Baek Byung-yeul
Korea is seeking to utilize drones when heavy rain occurs to monitor rivers and streams safely and in real time for possible overflow and any damage to flooded areas, the ICT ministry said Tuesday.
The ministry said First Vice Minister Cho Seong-kyung visited Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute's (ETRI) Data Network AI (DNA) + drone testbed facility in Daejeon to inspect technological developments that allow drones to monitor flooded areas.
Since 2020, the institute has been developing drone service platform technologies such as 4K-resolution drone data, 5G data communication for drones and real-time AI analysis. ETRI is also verifying technology for water resource monitoring as one of the applied service areas.
The ministry said utilizing the technology is expected to be used for aiding evacuation and rescue operations during heavy rainfall.
“This technology can be utilized to detect people in real time or identify the status of surrounding areas through high-resolution still images and videos taken by drones during dam discharges caused by heavy rainfall,” the ministry said.
Since June, Korea has been hit by heavy rains that have caused massive damage across the country. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the average precipitation during the 31-day-long rainy season was 648.7 millimeters, which was the third-largest volume after 2006 and 2020, since weather observations began here in 1973.
“Utilizing the drone technology to monitor and respond to dangerous situations in rivers, as well as proactively inspect areas of concern for damage, we will do our best to develop technology and apply the service as soon as possible to prevent damage caused by heavy rain,” the vice minister said.