Pukyong National University Professor Youngmin Noh's Team Selected for Top 20 Excellent Achievements in Land, Infrastructure and Transport R&D

Achievement in Commercializing Real-Time High-Resolution Fine Dust Observation Technology

The research and development achievements of Professor Youngmin Noh (Department of Environmental Engineering) and his team at Pukyong National University have been selected as one of the "Top 20 Excellent Achievements in Land, Infrastructure and Transport R&D 2025," organized by the Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement.

The "Top 20 Excellent Achievements in Land, Infrastructure and Transport R&D" is a system that selects projects with outstanding research results from the previous year among national land and transport R&D projects. The awards ceremony was held at the "2025 Land, Infrastructure and Transport Innovation Day" at EL Tower in Yangjae, Seoul, on December 12.

Professor Noh's team was honored for their achievement in "Commercializing the Nation's First Real-Time High-Resolution Fine Dust Observation Technology Based on Scanning Lidar." This research, conducted as part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's national strategic project "Development of Smart City Business Models Based on Local Demand" since 2019, was officially recognized last year for its excellence.

The research team developed a horizontal scanning lidar system to address the limitations of existing point-based fine dust measurement methods. This system can observe PM10 and PM2.5 mass concentrations in real time at 30-meter intervals within a 5-kilometer radius and can precisely calculate the distribution of airborne particles through laser scattering analysis.

By securing a proprietary algorithm that converts optical concentration to mass concentration, the team provides quantitative data that can be used for policy purposes. The entire process of observation, analysis, and operation has been automated, making it easy for non-experts to use, which is cited as a key strength.

This technology has been evaluated as having differentiated competitiveness compared to overseas technologies and has been successfully commercialized as an effective observation tool for precise air quality management through technology transfer.

Professor Youngmin Noh stated, "This research achievement has enabled the commercialization of observation technology necessary for precise air quality management," adding, "We expect it will contribute to enhancing the effectiveness of region-specific air quality analysis and policy responses in the future."

Professor Youngmin Noh (right) of Pukyong National University is receiving an award for being selected among the top 20 excellent achievements in Land, Infrastructure and Transport R&D.