SK Telecom identifies illegal drones using AI

South Korea's SK Telecom Co. announced on Thursday that it developed a communication and AI-integrated module to catch illegal drones using artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

Illegal drones pose threats to key national infrastructure, such as nuclear power plants and airports, making anti-drone technology increasingly critical.

Since 2021, SK Telecom has participated in the Intelligent Response Technology Development Project for Illegal Drones, led by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), to develop communication and AI video analysis modules necessary for drone flight and mission execution.

The newly developed module connects drones and ground control systems through PT-LTE and commercial LTE networks to transmit status and control messages.

Simultaneously, it uses deep learning algorithms to determine whether a drone is illegal.

Write to Seung-Woo Lee at leeswoo@hankyung.com