Resolution of Saekkomak Fishermen's Long-Standing Wish and Improvement of Farmers' Income, etc.
[Goheung=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shim Jeong-woo] Jeonnam Goheung-gun (Governor Gong Young-min) announced on the 20th that it has developed a smart drone for harmful algae removal based on AI technology in collaboration with tenant companies at the drone center located in the county, and conducted a demonstration at the Saekkomak shellfish farm area in Seonjeong Village, Namyang-myeon.
Seonjeong Village in Namyang-myeon, Goheung, is a major production area for Saekkomak shellfish, producing 4,000 tons annually, accounting for 30% of Jeonnam’s production. However, severe damage caused by flocks of ducks has occurred every year from December to March, the harvesting season.
Goheung-gun, together with drone center resident companies located in the county, developed a smart drone for harmful algae removal based on AI technology and conducted a demonstration at the Saekkomak shellfish farm area in Seonjeong Village, Namyang-myeon. Photo by Goheung-gun
To solve this problem, the county secured about 430 million KRW in 2022 through the Ministry of Science and ICT’s Smart Village Service Project, built a surveillance system that identifies flocks of ducks based on AI technology, and developed drones to drive away the ducks.
The process of driving away the ducks works by automatically notifying the control center installed on land and sea of the appearance of duck flocks, dispatching drones, and using speakers, blank cartridges, and whistle cartridges mounted on the drones to chase them away.
Shin Young-woo, head of Seonjeong Village in Namyang-myeon, where Saekkomak is farmed, said, “Every year during the Saekkomak harvesting season, villagers took turns working in groups of 3 to 4 or hired people to go out by boat to chase away the ducks. Now, with drones, fewer people need to work, which not only reduces costs but also greatly helps the income of fishing households.”
Seo Kyung-pil, CEO of Marine Robotics Co., Ltd., which developed the bird deterrent drone, said, “We will continue to improve and develop the technology to increase the AI recognition rate of ducks and to prevent the deterrent effect from decreasing due to ducks learning about the drones, aiming for commercialization.”
A county official stated, “We plan to continuously develop the duck recognition AI system and deterrent drone system and expand the project scope to other species such as clams.”
Meanwhile, Goheung-gun is focusing administrative efforts on fostering the drone industry to become a ‘drone-centered city Goheung’ by developing security drones for island areas, promoting demonstration projects within the drone special free zone, and strengthening the capabilities of tenant companies at the Goheung Drone Center.
Goheung=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shim Jeong-woo hss79@asiae.co.kr
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