South Korea to Deploy Rail-Mounted Robot and AI Surveillance on Border

South Korea will install a rail-mounted robot and artificial intelligence (AI)-based surveillance system later this year in “no man’s land” on the Korean peninsula.

The $2.8 billion project will see the robot installed in October. The AI-enabled video and audio system, meanwhile, will be deployed two months later.

The systems will be installed for a trial period of six months. Should they meet military requirements, permanent deployment is expected, Yonhap News Agency reported citing the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

The robotic system is designed to move along a rail at five meters (16 feet) per second, tracking and detecting moving objects through a high-resolution, remote-controlled, pan-tilt camera and an advanced sensor, the statement explained.

The system’s sensor can detect and track movements of objects as small as 0.3 × 0.3 m (12 x 12 in.) moving at a distance of more than 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) during the day and of more than 200 meters (656 feet) at night.

The AI-based system analyzes sounds and movement patterns of objects through CCTV footage. It alerts a control room should an infiltrator be detected.

The system employs deep-learning technologies which enable continuous improvement in the platform’s detection capabilities. It will be deployed on both land and maritime boundaries.

"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 government agency stated.