Unmanned security vehicles, robots, drones and other high-tech devices are playing a role in the protection of foreign heads of state attending the Korea-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) special summit in Busan, officials said Monday.
Among the many high-tech security devices installed in and around BEXCO, the summit venue, an unmanned security vehicle, called HR-Sherpa, has received the most media attention.
HR-Sherpa, a remote and autonomous driving-based vehicle developed by domestic researchers, carries out security and patrol missions around BEXCO without a driver or operator.
Cameras are mounted on the top, front, back, left and right of the unmanned security vehicle to collect 360-degree images around the vehicle even at night as well as during the day, and the images are automatically transmitted to a situation room.
According to the government's special security service team for the Korea-ASEAN summit, HR-Sherpa can also recognize nearby security guards and follow them automatically or explore and patrol designated routes by itself.
A security and guide robot, named Paro, is also at BEXCO.
Paro can serve as a guide for summit participants and simultaneously carry out security missions.
The self-operating robot can offer guidance in foreign languages and is capable of alerting the situation room of intruders.
Security drones have also been mobilized.
Such drones are responsible for checking the movement routes of heads of state and conducting searches in forests and along coastlines. After sunset, the drones equipped with a thermal imaging system can conduct night search operations. They are also tasked with finding potential snipers who enter rooftops of high-rise buildings and other places.
The security service team said it has been operating a state-of-the-art face recognition identity management system based on an artificial intelligence engine to better identify about 14,000 people registered for the Busan summit and manage their entrances and exits.
"At multilateral summit meetings, the host country's high technologies are closely watched," said an official on the special security service team.
"South Korea has so far displayed its capabilities as an ICT leader at previous multilateral summit events at home. Many fourth industrial revolution technologies have also been utilized this time for the Busan summit." (Yonhap)