KOSDAQ-listed company Edgefoundry announced on December 22 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with CityiLab, a transportation AI solutions specialist led by CEO Jung Jongwoo, to jointly develop an "AI Smart Control System" that combines thermal imaging sensors and artificial intelligence (AI).
CityiLab is a company specializing in transportation operation and control solutions that integrate transportation engineering-based algorithms with AI video analysis technology. Moving beyond the traditional detector-centric structure of existing intelligent transportation systems (ITS), CityiLab has established a data-driven transportation operation system that analyzes and utilizes vast amounts of video and sensor data generated on actual roads. The company has continuously carried out empirical projects such as traffic volume surveys, signal optimization, and intersection analysis, mainly for local governments and public institutions.
One of the company's key strengths is its replacement of manual traffic surveys with AI video analysis technology, which has significantly improved both operational efficiency and data accuracy. Currently, CityiLab produces and provides traffic data for more than 2,000 road sections annually, including highways, national roads, and major intersections. Through repeated orders and long-term operational projects, the company has proven the stability and field applicability of its technology.
CityiLab is expanding the application of its technology beyond the transportation sector into the field of safety. The company has developed an "electric vehicle fire early warning detection system" that combines its proprietary AI algorithms with infrared (IR) sensors, completing a pilot installation at Hyundai Engineering & Construction headquarters. CityiLab is also gradually implementing and commercializing this system at numerous industrial and public sites, including LG Science Park (LGSP) and Korea Expressway Corporation. This system detects abnormal temperature patterns and subtle thermal changes before a fire occurs, overcoming the limitations of existing visible-light-based systems.
Through this agreement, the integration of CityiLab's AI analysis and control software with Edgefoundry's thermal imaging sensor and module technology is expected to expand applications beyond traffic analysis to encompass urban safety, nighttime surveillance, and industrial facility fire detection, among other integrated control domains. Edgefoundry's thermal imaging sensors are recognized for their reliable observation performance in both day and night, as well as under adverse weather conditions, making them highly trusted in real-world operating environments.
Edgefoundry, which possesses leading technology and production capabilities in the field of thermal imaging sensors and modules, recently signed a supply contract worth approximately 46 billion KRW (about 46 billion won) with China's HK KEMEI Group. The company is also jointly developing AMP and AI drone systems based on its "Thermo K" thermal imaging camera module, pursuing a multifaceted application strategy that spans industrial, defense, and mobility sectors.
An Edgefoundry representative stated, "By combining CityiLab's accumulated experience in transportation and safety AI operations with our thermal imaging sensor technology, we will implement a high-precision intelligent control solution that can be immediately applied in the field. We will continue to expand our collaboration into high-value-added areas such as electric vehicle fire response, nighttime and blind spot surveillance, and industrial safety fire detection."
This collaboration goes beyond a simple technology partnership, drawing attention for its potential for mid- to long-term commercialization as a demonstration-driven business model that combines AI control software, proven in public and industrial sites, with domestically developed thermal imaging sensor technology.
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