Promotion of Seoul Subway Facility Inspection Using Drones

Seoul Metro Signs Business Agreement with Clover Studio on the 13th to Jointly Develop Drone Control System and Urban Railway Infrastructure Management Model

Enables Precise Inspection of Sections Difficult for Inspectors to Access, Expected to Improve Operations

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seoul Metro announced that on the 13th, it signed a business agreement with Clover Studio Co., Ltd., a specialized company in unmanned traffic management (UTM) platforms, to implement a precise safety management system for aging structures.

The two companies will jointly develop an urban railway infrastructure management model including a 3D map-based drone control system.

Clover Studio is a drone-specialized company that has won the Innovation Award for three consecutive years at CES in the United States, regarded as the world’s IT Olympics.

Since Seoul Subway has been in operation for several decades, the number of aging facilities is increasing. Inspection of aging facilities is essential, but due to the vast scale of the sites, it requires significant budget and labor costs. In particular, precise inspection and diagnosis of tunnels and bridges, which are difficult for inspectors to approach closely, require a large number of personnel and equipment.

If a drone control system is established, inspections can be conducted using drones equipped with ultra-precise cameras and infrared sensors. The captured video information is transmitted in real-time and, by applying computer vision and big data processing technologies, precise diagnosis of structures is performed. This is expected to reduce labor and costs and enhance worker safety.

Institutions such as Korea Railroad Corporation and Korea Electric Power Corporation are also utilizing drones in their operations.

Through the business agreement, the two companies will strive to jointly develop management models including the drone control system. Seoul Metro will conduct field inspections, data collection, and utilize relevant facilities, while Clover Studio will collaborate on building the drone control system, verification environment, and infrastructure management model using the collected data. Additionally, the two parties will jointly conduct feasibility studies and demonstration projects for expanding the application to infrastructures such as power facilities, seeking ways to establish a drone control center integrated with subway control.

Kim Seong-ryeol, Head of Technology at Seoul Metro, said, “Cooperating with Clover Studio, a specialized drone control system company, we expect to build a drone control system that enables safer and more precise safety management,” adding, “Seoul Metro will continue to introduce various technologies to provide safe transportation services.”