S. Korea to deploy mobile robots, AI-based surveillance system in border areas

South Korea plans to deploy moving robots on guard missions and establish an artificial intelligence (AI)-based surveillance system in border areas to beef up border security, the arms procurement agency said Tuesday.

Under the "rapid acquisition" project worth 2.8 billion won ($2.5 million), the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) decided to introduce the two items this year that employ state-of-the-art technologies.

The robot is designed to move along a rail at a speed of 5 meters per second and detect and track moving objects round the clock, as it is equipped with a high-resolution pan-tilt camera and an advanced sensor, according to DAPA.

It will be put into operation officially after a six-month test run starting December, DAPA added.

The AI-based surveillance system is supposed to analyze sounds and moving patterns of objects in CCTV footage and send an alarm to a control room when recognizing infiltrators. As the new system employs deep learning technologies, its detection capabilities can be improved constantly, according to DAPA.

The system will be established around ground and maritime border regions by October, it added.

"These systems are expected to help allow tighter, round-the-clock surveillance missions to minimize possible loopholes, and help manage our troops more effectively," the agency said in a release.

South Korea has been working to advance surveillance systems and beef up guard posture in the wake of a series of security breaches, mostly by North Koreans. (Yonhap)