KAIST Begins Development of Military Ultra-Small Nano and Transformable Drones

Establishment of Advanced Drone Development Research Institute Specialized in Defense Industry

KAIST has officially begun developing ultra-small nano drones and transformable drones capable of landing on various rugged terrains for military use, in collaboration with the Ministry of National Defense.

On the 13th, KAIST announced that the research team led by Professor Yoon Yong-jin of the Department of Mechanical Engineering was finally selected last December for the project “Establishment and Operation of a Defense Industry Specialized (Advanced Drone) Development Research Institute,” which is part of the Daejeon Defense Innovation Cluster project, receiving a total budget of 12.95 billion KRW.

The Daejeon Defense Innovation Cluster project is conducted by the Defense Technology Promotion Institute, the dedicated agency, and will invest 49 billion KRW by 2026 (24.5 billion KRW each from Daejeon Metropolitan City and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration). The core projects include ▲establishing a regional specialization roadmap in the drone sector ▲building a defense industry specialized development research institute ▲supporting drone-specific development costs ▲supporting technology commercialization in the drone field ▲establishing and supporting testing equipment ▲supporting new entrants and startups in the drone sector, thereby providing full-cycle support for the growth of small and venture defense companies.

The left image shows a model of a micro nano drone. It is a helicopter-type drone designed to support surveillance and reconnaissance for small units such as squads. The right image depicts a rough terrain landing drone, a quadcopter-type drone equipped with a mechanism that allows it to land on rough terrain such as tree branches. Image provided by KAIST.

Among these, the research institute is responsible for developing ultra-small nano drones and transformable drones capable of landing on various rugged terrains. The goal is to localize key materials and components of ultra-small nano drones, which have a significant technological gap compared to advanced countries, and to develop transformable drones capable of performing diverse missions.

Additionally, small and medium-sized enterprises based in Daejeon related to the advanced drone industry will voluntarily participate to share information and knowledge, creating a cooperative system that generates synergy effects. Starting with leading research in collaboration with local SMEs, the long-term goal of this cooperation is to establish an advanced drone development ecosystem that fosters specialized drone talent, provides innovative development technologies, and leads to the creation of high-quality new industries and jobs, thereby securing leading technologies for the future drone market.

At KAIST, Professor Yoon Yong-jin serves as the director of the research institute, with participation from Professor Kim Jeong of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (department head) and Professor Jeong Jae-won (director of the Eulji Research Institute). Chungnam National University and Daejeon Technopark are cooperating institutions.

Professor Yoon stated, “Not only will this project develop cutting-edge drones for K-defense, but it is also expected to increase exports. We will strive to achieve the maximum results through efficient project execution.”