Free Spirit Swimming in the Air, Drone
Free Spirit Swimming in the Air, Drone
  • Reporter Lee Il-bong
  • 승인 2015.10.07 20:10
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Recently, drones are becoming extremely popular among people. The Postech Times will cover what a drone is, an interview with prestigious drone researcher Youngbin Son, and lastly various drone festivals.

A drone is a flying object produced to complete its role without a pilot. Its name “drone” literally means a male bee, and it was given this name because of its buzzing propeller sounds. Nowadays, drones are generally small aircraft with 4 or more small propellers. The idea for a drone has existed for a long time, but limited technology such as inadequate batteries of the proper size, made the idea impossible to realize. Gradual technology development and the change of the world have not only made the production of drones possible but have also made them very popular. Drones are now evolving into a core technology for future life. 
To hear a more vivid story of drone industry, The Postech Times visited Youngbin Son (CiTE, Ph.D. Candidate). He recently developed an auto drone taking-off and landing technology. He obtained his office at the Pohang Center for Creative Economy & Innovation by receiving recognition of his research. Below are some interesting things he shared during our conversation.
“It’s hard to estimate the drone market size, but global civilian drone market values about 0.4 billion USD, and its additional industrial market is about 1.1 billion (2015). One notable thing is that the market has grown drastically throughout the past few years, and it is expected to maintain that pace for the coming decades.”
“The Korean drone industry is biased to the manufacturing process. However, China dominates the market when it comes to manufacturing. I think that the future drone industry will be focused on software development instead of manufacturing, so that drones can perfectly substitute the human position. I’m looking forward the total automation of drones, which is an obvious milestone for developing drone. Future drones will require four core technologies. One, way-point which allows the drone to fly through the points the user set. Two, automatic take-off and landing, enabling the auto charging system. Three, self-recognizing the breakdown and self-repair. Four, the ability to recognize landscapes and obstacles. Additionally, solving and preventing safety problems will be a key to expanding the market.”
“Researching in Korea has distinct limits. First of all, there are so many flight restriction areas, such as nearby the airport. Since a restriction border crosses and separates POSTECH, I usually fly drones at the POSTECH gymnasium or Stormy Hill, where flying is not prohibited. Moreover, Korea is mostly made up of mountains, so the plains for flight are insufficient. One more thing I feel regretful of is that Korea’s drone industry is not active enough. I hope to see an increase in active discussions and interactions between Korean researchers to produce more creative outcomes.”      
Drone Festivals
As autumn comes, skies are high and the weather is perfect to fly a drone. So, a number of drone festivals have been or will be held. On Sep. 12, Gangwon and Suwon provinces hosted drone festivals. Suwon City hosted the festival conducted in the Ajou University sports stadium. First Person View (FPV), the technology that drone sends the real time video to the user at the ground, hooked the audience. It gives users a realistic experience and the feelings of flying on the drone. Gangwon province also held a drone festival at Daegwalleong Samyang Farm. A drone picture competition, drone assembly experience, drone racings, and drone fighter show proceeded. Those two festivals were the first drone festivals held by local governments. They reflect the rising stature of the drone industry. On Oct. 9 and 10, Chungcheongnam-do will host the “Flower and Drone Festival”, in Naepo new town. Busan city will also hold “DRONE SHOW KOREA 2016” on Jan. 22-23, 2016 in BEXCO (Busan Exhibition & Convention Center).
Drones have infinite possibilities and various utilizations. Its future development is highly expected, and drones are being researched by many engineers. Why don’t you dive into the enormous world of drones ruling over the sky?