Demonstration of Autonomous Navigation Drone System Construction in Nowon-gu

Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) completed the establishment of an autonomous navigation drone service and held a demonstration flight event at 10 a.m. on the 30th at the Jungnangcheon Meeting Plaza.

Through the establishment of the autonomous navigation drone system, real-time flights responding to disasters and emergencies are now possible with video linkage and remote control between the drone and the integrated operation center, enabling pre-monitoring in places difficult for humans to access.

The district designated autonomous drone mission routes along approximately 8 km of Jungnangcheon and about 2 km of Suraksan, and built dedicated infrastructure including three smart pole drone stations at key points considering the drone flight environment, completing the first autonomous drone navigation demonstration among Seoul’s autonomous districts.

Currently, the drone stations are located at Jungnangcheon Meeting Plaza, the rooftop of Nowon-gu Office, and Suraksan Sports Town. In case of a disaster, drones immediately dispatch to the site, perform their mission, and return. After returning, the battery is charged through an automatic charging pad inside the station.

About 20 people, including the Media Public Relations Officer, Smart City Team Leader, and autonomous district drone task managers, participated in the demonstration flight event.

Centered on the drone station within Jungnangcheon Meeting Plaza, flights were demonstrated over the upper and lower reaches of Jungnangcheon and low-altitude flights for evacuation guidance, along with explanations of the autonomous navigation process via remote control at the integrated operation center.

Going forward, the district will promote high-quality operations by continuously conducting regular flights to establish stable flight routes and improve performance such as operational software, and plans to expand the service to various administrative tasks including forest, traffic, tree management, and illegal cultivation inspections.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “Having completed the first autonomous drone navigation demonstration among Seoul’s autonomous districts, we plan to actively utilize information and communication technology for urban safety.”