According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's "Korean Urban Air Mobility (K-UAM) Operation Concept 1.0," South Korea plans to begin commercial operations of UAM in the form of air taxis centered around the Seoul metropolitan area starting in 2025. From 2030, UAM is expected to expand to metropolitan areas and be remotely controlled through an automated traffic management program (UTM). After 2035, a fully autonomous UAM system is anticipated to cover the entire country.
However, drones are already being actively used commercially. Currently, the demand for drones in industrial sites is rapidly increasing. In particular, due to the enforcement of the "Serious Accidents Punishment Act," there is a sharp rise in demand for safety management using drones at large-scale industrial sites such as construction sites and shipyards. Additionally, a diverse and active market is expected to form in the travel and tourism sectors, which will be revitalized after COVID-19.
Konan Korea (Chairman Pyo Se-jin), recognizing the commercial potential of drones, has partnered with Clover Studio, a web-based 3D and 4D unmanned aerial vehicle integrated control platform (GCP, Ground Control Platform) company, to sign a joint business and joint venture (JV) establishment and operation agreement. This joint business initiative marks the beginning of an era applying blockchain technology to the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) sector.
Clover Studio has developed a system capable of simultaneously controlling or managing numerous types of drones and has been globally recognized by winning the Innovation Awards consecutively in 2021 and 2022 at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) for its innovative 3D map-based control software technology (Urban Air Traffic Management System, UATM) in the unmanned aerial vehicle integrated control platform (GCP) field for UAM.
In particular, Clover Studio's UAM/UATM autonomous control platform "Drow" is the world's first product in the unmanned drone software field to receive a CES Innovation Award. It is also the first Korean company to win an award in the app & mobile sector, not hardware, across all mobility fields.
Clover Studio's "Drow" was developed through national projects conducted by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. Domestically, it is leading the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's drone demonstration projects. The Ministry has designated 10 local governments nationwide as demonstration cities for the pre-K-UAM phase and is conducting various demonstration projects. Clover Studio conducted the first-ever beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) autonomous drone flight demonstration in Yeongwol in October 2021.
This technology is being utilized in collaboration and practical applications with numerous companies, local governments, and research institutions such as Doosan DMI, Chungnam Liquefied Hydrogen Drone Project, and Goheung Smart Farm Project. Overseas, Clover Studio has signed an MOU and is collaborating with OneSky, a partner of Hyundai Motor Group's UAM subsidiary Supernal in the U.S., and is also working with Japanese companies, actively advancing into the global market. Meanwhile, Clover Studio has already obtained procurement qualifications from the U.S. federal government and the U.S. Forces Korea.
[Clover Studio and OneSky have signed an MOU. (Photo by Clover Studio)]
Meanwhile, Konan Korea will collaborate by providing Clover Studio with a blockchain-based distributed storage system, as security is one of the critical factors in autonomous flight and control of unmanned aerial vehicles.
Clover Studio is creating a 3D map recognized as spatial coordinates x, y, and z based on point cloud technology. The 3D map developed by Clover Studio, based on V-world led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, will accumulate vast amounts of data and serve as the foundation for remote control of unmanned aerial vehicles. Therefore, it is crucial to encrypt and securely store this data and provide control services to users with strong security applied. Accordingly, Konan Korea will encrypt the data created by Clover Studio using blockchain technology and realize distributed storage and encrypted control services through Konan Drive, primarily used by Cyworld members.
Furthermore, the 3D map constructed by Clover Studio is expected to significantly contribute to the JV's future entry into the metaverse and NFT markets through digital twins.
Konan Korea and Clover Studio plan to establish a joint venture (JV) and commence full-scale commercial services. Initially, they will launch remote drone control services for construction and industrial sites, where demand is surging. Specifically, drones will be deployed to construction and industrial sites to conduct "beyond visual line of sight remote-controlled flight along control routes," capturing footage of hazardous or unseen areas, storing and preserving the records to secure objective log data for safety management. Demand is very strong not only in construction sites but also in large-scale industrial sites. However, Clover Studio is the only company in Korea with a proven system for remote control and management based on 3D maps.
Clover Studio also assesses that demand in the travel and tourism industries is high. The company explained that inquiries for remote drone photography and videography targeting tourists at major national parks and famous tourist destinations nationwide are rapidly increasing.
Consumers desire photos and videos resembling scenes from dramas or movies rather than ordinary shots. Accordingly, the JV to be established plans to provide paid drone photo and video shooting services targeting tourists after consultations with local governments. In particular, during the initial service phase, free shooting promotions will be planned for Cyworld members.
Clover Studio was founded in 2019. CEO Choi Tae-in, a software development engineer, started the company with aviation software developers based on his experience developing smart city control solutions in Songdo, Incheon.
CEO Choi stated, "We aim to become a 'pathfinder' in the UAM market, expanding beyond Korea to the Americas and Europe," and added, "Through this joint business with Konan Korea, we predict that the commercialization and growth of drone-based service markets will accelerate rapidly."
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