(https://www.sisamagazine.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=405691, 2021.10.05)

Ulju County Begins Full-Scale Demonstration in Drone Special Free Zone

On the 5th, Ulju County conducted a wildfire surveillance drone demonstration as part of the Drone Special Free Zone initiative at the Ulju County Office Lawn Park.

The demonstration involved the tethered drone SKYEYE-150, which was deployed to altitudes of 150–200m, operating for eight hours while monitoring a radius of 5–10km. 

The surveillance footage was controlled on-site, and real-time monitoring was also conducted remotely by field officials via mobile devices and office staff via computers.

The tethered drone, which receives power from the ground via a wired connection, can operate without time constraints. 

With a monitoring range of up to 10km, only four drones would be needed to cover the entire Ulju County.

Additionally, in the event of a wildfire or any abnormal signs, the system transmits the exact coordinates of the observed location, enabling a swift response by emergency teams.

Following today's demonstration, a second test will be conducted on the 13th in the Sangbuk-myeon Complex Welcome Center area. 

If proven effective, the wildfire surveillance drone will be integrated into official monitoring operations from November to May, in collaboration with the Forestry and Parks Division, and may later be adopted alongside a drone control system.

The Drone Special Free Zone is a government-designated program led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, aimed at fostering the drone industry. 

Ulju County has allocated KRW 20 billion (approx. $15 million) from 2021 to 2025 to develop drone infrastructure, smart farming (human-drone development), drone system implementation, and a drone theme park.

In addition to wildfire surveillance, various drone demonstration projects are currently underway, including: Smart farming (human-drone development), Drone & drone station,  development (UCIS), PAV development & demonstration (UNIST), Environmental monitoring (Taesung Environmental Research Institute), Digital twin technology (MMP), Drone platform construction (Mujigae Research Institute), Hydrogen-powered drones (Korea Institute of Energy Research, Doosan Digital Innovation), Drone AI technology (A-Tech)

An Ulju County official stated, "We hope this demonstration will bring innovative advancements in wildfire surveillance within Ulju County. 

With the operation of the Drone Special Free Zone, we anticipate smarter administrative services in the future."