Anyang City Blocks River Accidents at Source Using Autonomous Drones

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Yu Je-seong] Anyang City announced on the 4th that it will fully deploy an 'unmanned autonomous flight drone system' in practical disaster response operations to prevent summer river isolation accidents.

On the 3rd, the city, led by Mayor Choi Dae-ho along with relevant departments including the Safety Policy Division, Information and Communication Division, and Ecological River Division, conducted 'on-site inspections in advance of summer natural disasters' at vulnerable disaster areas including Sewol Bridge on Waryong-ro in Man'an-gu and the 9 Doonchi parking lot.

This inspection was prepared to establish a thorough safety management system in advance to prevent casualties in preparation for summer flooding and wind damage this year.

Among the drone policies reviewed, an advanced operating system was unveiled in the city's 'Integrated Drone Command Center' that enables remote control of drones without requiring personnel to be on site.

In particular, a demonstration was conducted showing the drone autonomously taking off from a drone base installed on the rooftop of the Anyang Stream Eco-Story Hall, following a designated route to complete river safety inspections, and then automatically returning to the rooftop base, demonstrating the efficiency of disaster response.

The autonomous flight drone automatically identifies pedestrians in the river using artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

When water levels rise due to heavy rainfall, the drone's mounted speaker broadcasts guidance in real time such as, "This is an announcement from Anyang City. Currently, water levels in the stream have risen due to heavy rainfall and entry to the stream is prohibited. Please immediately move to a safe location," guiding citizens to evacuate.

This enables swift and efficient safety guidance even in situations where it is difficult to approach the site or dispatch personnel.

The city operates the 'Integrated Drone Command Center' and 'Disaster Safety Command Center' in organic coordination, thereby establishing a tight safety net extending to blind spots not reached by fixed announcement facilities and minimizing gaps in disaster response.

In addition to drone operations, the inspection on this day also covered comprehensive disaster management including inspections of river facilities and Sewol Bridge, operation of combined manhole pumping facilities, and verification of vehicle submersion prevention response systems at Doonchi parking lots.

Heo Jae-young, Director of the Information and Communication Division, stated, "River safety activities utilizing autonomous flight drone systems are a smart administration example centered on citizens in line with the climate crisis era," and added, "We will do our utmost to protect citizens' lives and safety by expanding the drone monitoring system from rivers to disaster-vulnerable areas throughout the city including forests."