Robot startups and defense firms will work with the South Korean military to develop a system that commands and controls various robots on the battlefield. The aim goes beyond deploying individual robots in the military to connecting unmanned technology with existing weapons systems, laying the groundwork for future unmanned combat.
According to industry sources on the 3rd, Lion Robotics, a manufacturer of quadruped walking robots, recently won a future challenge project along these lines together with Hanwha Aerospace (012450.KS) and the Agency for Defense Development. The project centers on defense firms and research institutes, including Lion Robotics, building a system that commands and controls various robots—such as quadruped walking robots and tracked robots—within a single system. During the research process, individual robots can be modified for combat use by adding not only power-generating equipment but also weapons.
"Considering robot production schedules and other factors, we plan to carry out the project in earnest next year," a Lion Robotics official said. "Through the project, we can demonstrate that unmanned combat is possible using robots."
Industry officials agree that the defense market is expanding from deploying individual robots to establishing systems that organically command robots within a "team" framework. This is because robot technology is advancing rapidly, led by private companies. In the case of Lion Robotics, the company has internalized core hardware and software technologies related to quadruped walking robots, earning recognition for its technical capabilities from investors including SBVA (formerly SoftBank Ventures). Rainbow Robotics has also secured quadruped walking technology that enables stable movement over rough terrain such as stairs and slopes, and is supplying robots to the Army.
Discussions on military use of robots are expected to gain momentum as population decline reduces available troop resources. Yoon Dae-yeop, a professor of military science at Daejeon University, said, "In the United States and China, robots are already being deployed in actual military operations." He added, "The South Korean military is trying to address the power vacuum caused by declining troop resources with artificial intelligence (AI) and robots."
