Hyundai Engineering files patents for AI-based leak detection system

A diagram showing Hyundai Engineering's artificial intelligence-based system that detects water leaks / Courtesy of Hyundai Engineering

Hyundai Engineering said Monday it has filed two patents for an artificial intelligence (AI)-based system that detects water leaks before they occur in data centers and other industrial facilities, developed in partnership with smart control technology firm LJ System.

The system departs from conventional leak sensors, which only trigger an alert when water makes direct contact with the sensor. Instead, it continuously monitors multiple data streams — including pressure, flow rate, temperature and humidity — collected through IoT (Internet of Things) sensors, and uses AI to learn normal operating patterns and flag anomalies before a leak develops.

A key feature is the system's ability to distinguish between condensation and an actual leak, a persistent source of false alarms in facility management.

If humidity rises in a given area but pressure and flow readings remain stable, the AI classifies the event as condensation and suppresses the alert, reducing unnecessary shutdowns in large industrial facilities.

The system also uses an on-device AI architecture — also known as edge AI — meaning data is processed locally on the hardware rather than sent to a central server.

This eliminates communication delays and allows the system to respond to emergencies in real time. The company said it can be deployed in both new and existing buildings by adding sensors and integrating with current infrastructure, without replacing installed equipment.

Hyundai Engineering said prototyping, field data collection and AI algorithm refinement are ongoing, with full-scale commercialization and project deployment planned after validation.

The company said it intends to expand the technology beyond leak management into energy optimization and predictive equipment maintenance, positioning it as an integrated AI-based smart building and plant operations solution.

"Uninterrupted operation of advanced industrial infrastructure, including data centers, is directly tied to a company's core competitiveness," a Hyundai Engineering spokesperson said.

"We will continue to strengthen our engineering capabilities in the global industrial infrastructure market by integrating AI across all stages, from design to operations."

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.