What Technologies are Packed into Industrial Drones Active Across Various Fields?

These days, whenever you turn on the TV, the Tokyo Olympics are on. Watching the Tokyo Olympics reminds me of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics held in South Korea.

As you all know, I, Pengbok, am originally from the North Pole! So, it’s true that my heart leans more toward the Winter Olympics than the Summer Olympics. (Ahem)

The most impressive part of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics was the drone light show during the opening ceremony! It was a spectacular display that showcased Korea's drone technology to the world. 👏

The drones at the PyeongChang Olympics didn't just form the Olympic Rings; they also participated in the torch relay.

 The Olympic torch relay is being conducted by drone at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. (Photo by Park Jong-sik, Hankyoreh)

Here is a drone moving forward diligently while carrying the torch on its back (?). ☺️

As you can see, Korean drone technology boasts an outstanding level that has already surprised people worldwide.

 Marosol 'Drone' Search Results

At Marosol, always one step ahead, you can find various application cases related to drones!

Currently, there are three drone application cases listed: Korean Air, Doosan Mobility Innovation (DMI), and Argosdyne!

Shall we look at these innovative drone applications that fly for over 2 hours and play an active role in fields such as rescue, security, and delivery?

 1. DMI Hydrogen Fuel Cell Drone

 Click to view more details.

The drone used in this case by Doosan Mobility Innovation is an AI hydrogen drone with a flight time of 2 hours, performing patrol missions across various industrial and public sites.

If you think of airplanes or helicopters, a 2-hour flight time might seem easy. However, this is a feature developed by Doosan Mobility Innovation in 2019—the world's first hydrogen drone—to overcome the short flight time limitations of traditional battery-powered drones!

 Masks being Delivery to an island without a pharmacy (Photo = Doosan Newsroom)

This hydrogen drone shines even brighter in disaster environments where humans cannot easily go. It is perfect for delivering emergency supplies or searching for missing persons.

In fact, in November last year, it successfully delivered emergency relief medical supplies through a long-distance (70km) offshore flight organized by the U.S. CDC. In April of this year, it showcased fully automated beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight by delivering public masks to islands surrounding Jeju.

Furthermore, it is being used very effectively in our daily lives for inspecting infrastructure such as power lines, solar power plants, and gas pipes, as well as monitoring agricultural products and live broadcasting sports events. 👍

Rather than explaining with words, it’s better to see it with your own eyes, right?

👉🏻 Watch video of hydrogen drone application examples

It’s no exaggeration to say this is the ultimate drone application, packed with smart features. 😮

2. Integrated Social Safety Net Monitoring and Control Service Using Drones

 Click to view more details.

The second is a smart drone application from Argosdyne. Argosdyne is a company that boasts superior ground control software technology, holding multiple patents related to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

In particular, the Rondo Mobility System used in this case supports various communication methods* and provides an integrated social safety net monitoring and control service through a combination of a mobile station (Portus), a Ground Control System (GCS), and patrol drones. 

*FM, WiFi, LTE, LoRa, etc., allowing for smooth use even in mountainous and rural areas where communication quality is lower than in cities.

It secured mission continuity through precision landing and automatic charging functions, and significantly expanded the aircraft's range by utilizing multiple stations simultaneously.

In this process, management is possible with just a single PC, reducing dependency on pilots and saving labor costs as a bonus! 😉

Like the DMI case we looked at earlier, it was possible to build a monitoring system for large areas where human access is difficult. Thanks to this, costs were greatly reduced by not operating heavy equipment or helicopters. It’s a win-win, as the saved costs are reportedly being used to deploy even more drones!

Check out Argosdyne's endless smart drone solution through a vivid video. 😎

 👉🏻 Go watch the video

 3. Vertical Take-off and Landing Hybrid Drone for Coastal Surveillance

 Click to view more details.

Finally, the drone from Korean Air is capable of long-duration flights of 2 hours even in sub-zero temperatures and at very high altitudes.

With a maximum flight altitude of 1.6km and a top speed of 72km/h, it can carry 3kg of mission equipment and operate throughout the four seasons within an operating temperature range of -20 to 45°C, regardless of extreme cold or heat.

Additionally, it boasts the prestige of Korean Air by carrying a 5kW hybrid power source—combining a gasoline engine and a battery—and a self-designed PMU* to manage power in an optimal state. *Power Management Unit

If the signal is lost, it can automatically return and land at a designated point. Even if the engine stops, it can restart the engine mid-air, making it the first hybrid drone in Korea to receive safety certification. 👏

Shall we look at more details through Marosol's comparison tool?

The estimated price is the highest for the Korean Air drone, but it has the advantage of being highly versatile according to the customer's needs. 😉 Just like anything else, drones prove their worth when you pay for quality, right?

Now, let’s wrap up by comparing the three application cases at a glance.

Looking for a drone optimized for long-duration flight? The DMI Hydrogen Drone Case!

✅ Long flight time of 2 hours utilizing hydrogen fuel.

✅ High technology with a hydrogen fuel cell power pack that won the Best of Innovation and Innovation Awards at CES 2020.

✅ Long-distance monitoring and control based on LTE/5G (Auto-return system after mission completion).

✅ AI-based data analysis and autonomous flight solution.

✅ Real-time video transmission and automatic monitoring through an AI system.

Argosdyne’s Smart Drone Case: Reduce operating costs and increase frequency!

✅ Supports integration systems with various flight controllers (FC) including their own, ArduPilot, DJI A3, and PixHawk 4.

✅ Efficient product configuration allowing operation of multiple drones and stations from a single GCS.

✅ Expands aircraft activity range by periodically flying multiple aircraft on designated paths using GCS.

✅ Managed via a single PC, reducing dependency on pilots and saving labor costs.

✅ Equipped with thermal cameras, AI detection systems, and fine dust/hazardous substance sensors for safe and precise inspections.

Korean Air’s Drone Case: Versatile operation tailored to your needs!

✅ Obtained Korea's first safety certification for a hybrid drone.

✅ Secured certified testing reports for major performance metrics.

✅ Capable of diverse operations based on customer needs (e.g., equipping speakers for warning broadcasts).

✅ Equipped with thermal cameras for forest fire detection.

✅ Operable in all four seasons regardless of extreme cold or heat.

All three drone solutions examined today share the commonality of being equipped with cameras to transmit and monitor video in real-time. It’s no exaggeration to say that drones are now acting as human eyes, expanding our field of vision in various industrial and public sites.

I hope drone technology continues to develop even further, going places where humans cannot and doing tasks humans cannot do. 😊