Seoul partners with state research institute to prepare for disastrous situations caused by EMP

SEOUL -- To prepare for disastrous urban situations caused by electromagnetic pulse wave blasts, Seoul City and the National Radio Research Agency have forged a partnership to co-develop countermeasures against radio frequency attacks that could cause communication blackouts and malfunctions of electronic devices. Electromagnetic pulse (EMP) waves can be created by natural phenomena such as solar geomagnetic disturbances or by manmade devices such as an EMP bomb or EMP generator. E

February 2, 2023

Seoul to monitor fire hydrants using internet of things-based management system

SEOUL -- Seoul will demonstrate an internet of things-based inspection service to monitor fire hydrants in urban areas. The smart management solution will check the condition of fire hydrants instead of having human workers check facilities. Human inspectors can remotely detect abnormalities using the solution that enables local fire stations to monitor fire hydrants. Government data showed that the capital city had 59,727 fire hydrants as of 2021. Jongno, an office district locate

February 1, 2023

Hanwha's life insurance wing adopts optical character recognition solution to handle multiple documents

SEOUL -- Hanwha Life Insurance, one of the major life insurance companies in South Korea, adopted optical character recognition solution capable of extracting necessary data from complicated insurance claim documents such as medical expense receipts. The solution created by domestic artificial intelligence startup Upstage would help busy workers as it can quickly process complex documentation tasks with one click. Optical character recognition (OCR) is used to convert images of pri

February 1, 2023

BTS agency Hybe acquires AI audio technology startup Supertone

SEOUL -- Targeting the artificial intelligence-based audio market, the agency of BTS has acquired Supertone, an AI voice synthesis technology startup in South Korea. Supertone's sound technology was used in Disney+'s drama series "Big Bet" to reproduce the voice of Choi Min-sik, a 60-year-old veteran actor who was playing the role of a young character in his 30s. Hybe said in a statement on January 31 that the company secured a 56.1 percent stake in Supertone by i

January 31, 2023

Joint research team develops high-performance electrode for EV and smartphone batteries

SEOUL -- A joint team of researchers has developed a high-performance electrode for lithium-ion batteries that are commonly used in smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles. The newly-developed anode, which is the positively-charged electrode, can significantly increase the performance of devices and the lifespan of batteries. Normally, lithium-ion batteries are produced by shaping the battery by coating and drying a mixture of active materials that chemically react to gene

January 31, 2023

Researchers develop non-EMP anti-drone technology ideal for urban environments

SEOUL -- A team of researchers from a prominent state research institute has developed an anti-drone technology that can neutralize drones in mid-air without using electromagnetic pulse waves that can also damage nearby electronic devices. The technology can also be used for pinpointing enemy drones without risks of damaging ally unmanned aerial vehicles. Drones in urban areas can be really tricky to shoot down. Currently, the most effective way to take down a flying drone is to us

January 31, 2023

KT Skylife releases lightweight electric wheelchair for vulnerable road users

SEOUL -- KT Skylife, a satellite broadcasting provider affiliated with South Korea's major telecom company KT, rolled out a lightweight electric wheelchair that would help reduce the inconvenience of people with mobility problems. The smart wheelchair can travel up to 45 kilometers (27.9 miles) on a single charge and can be loaded into a small passenger car's trunk. The electric wheelchair weighing 30 kilograms (66.1 pounds) is called Auto Wheel. Using a Bluetooth-based con

January 31, 2023

Researchers develop AI technology capable of predicting cardiovascular events for stroke patients

SEOUL -- Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence-based solution capable of predicting the risk and date of cardiovascular events, which can cause serious damage to the heart muscle, in patients who previously had a stroke. Cardiovascular events, which result in physical disability and even death, are known to take place after suffering from a severe brain attack. A stroke is a severe brain disease that happens when the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain are bl

January 27, 2023

Researchers develop four-legged robot capable of swiftly traveling through sandy grounds

SEOUL -- Using an artificial neural network for reinforced learning, researchers from a prominent research institute have developed a quadrupedal (four-legged) robot capable of stably and swiftly traveling through sandy grounds like beaches and sand dunes. Because the legs of the dog-like robots dig into the sand and make them lose balance, the beach is one of the toughest terrains for multi-limbed robots to run through. While many autonomous robots on wheels or caterpillars are be

January 26, 2023

SK Telecom to upgrade AI service 'A.' through long-term memory technology

SEOUL -- South Korea's top mobile carrier SK Telecom will upgrade its artificial intelligence service called "A." by adopting long-term memory technology to enable the AI secretary to remember its owner's crucial information for a long time. Users can form a strong friendship with the AI service as it can engage in a conversation without any difficulties even when humans bring back their old memories. A. (A dot) is a time-saving service that intelligently handles

January 25, 2023