On the 29th, among the causes of the explosion and fire incident involving a Jeju Air flight at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do, 'bird strike' has been identified. It has been revealed that about 10 years ago, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute collaborated with LIG Nex1 to develop the world's first mobile bird mitigation robot.
According to firefighting authorities on the 31st, the fuselage landing incident of the Jeju Air flight that occurred at Muan Airport was determined to have happened because the landing gear did not operate during landing. Authorities are investigating the exact cause, but there is a possibility that the equipment was damaged due to a bird strike.
In South Korea, the world's first mobile bird mitigation robot was developed in the past. In 2009, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute formed a consortium with LIG Nex1, Kyungin Feralight, and Korea Environment and Ecology Institute, under the 'dual-use technology project' managed by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to initiate the development of the bird mitigation robot.
The development was aimed at solving the bird strike problem at civilian airports by applying remote monitoring and control technologies used in nuclear power plants, high-power laser technology, and mobile robot platform and control technology. The robot was designed to incorporate detection, recognition, and advanced information communication technologies possessed by LIG Nex1, and to combine directional (specifically aimed sound) acoustic equipment technology held by Kyungin Feralight and the bird-related expertise of the Korea Environment and Ecology Institute.
About 5.4 million won was invested over four years, and the development was completed in 2013. The robot, for which LIG Nex1 took overall system integration responsibility, was named LBES (LIGNex1 Bird Expellent System). It was made in such a way that various detection devices like directional sound emission equipment, laser emission equipment, day/night color cameras, thermal imaging cameras, acoustic detection equipment, and laser scanners were mounted on a four-wheeled chassis.
The robot was designed to allow users to remotely detect and mitigate birds from indoors. It stands 2.5 meters tall and weighs 1.4 tons, able to run up to 50 km/h for a maximum of 8 hours with a charged battery. Additionally, it was equipped with the technology to identify the species of detected birds by using information from a bird database built on the server, and then employ the optimal method of mitigation based on the species.
The laser emission device mounted on the robot is designed to automatically stop emission if it tilts more than 5 degrees upwards from absolute horizontal, to avoid interfering with aircraft operations. It was also designed to operate without interference from numerous other equipment used at airports, such as air traffic control radar, by utilizing a common frequency band communication network. The technology to set a specific distance around the runway as a restricted area was also included so that the robot system would automatically stop if it approached the prohibited area to prevent collision accidents.
The bird mitigation robot underwent several tests at the Air Force Seosan base, improving its performance, and was designated as a market-creating 'robot demonstration supply project' by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in 2013, also receiving financial support of 1.3 billion won. LIG Nex1 publicly showcased the robot to civilians at 'Roboworld' and the Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) in 2013.
The robot attracted interest from military and airport officials both domestically and internationally at that time, but it did not lead to actual delivery and use at military and civilian airports. An official from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration noted, 'The bird mitigation robot completed trial operations in the military, but did not lead to a requirement and acquisition process.' A military official said, 'In the case of Air Force bases operating combat aircraft, there is sensitive management of foreign substances near the runway, and the burden of operating the robot would have posed significant concerns.'
At that time, the bird mitigation robot also attempted to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) related to purchases with airports in countries such as Panama, but the change in the Panamanian government and the lack of usage history in South Korea reportedly hindered the export. An official from Korea Airports Corporation stated, 'While it is difficult to mention the background for not adopting the robot at that time, it likely resulted from airports choosing efficient methods for bird mitigation.'
An official from LIG Nex1 said, 'Although the bird mitigation robot did not lead to substantial business expansion after development, the technical skills and know-how accumulated during the development process have led to the acquisition of unmanned system-based technologies.'