"Synerex" is targeting the drone market with "remote sensing" [Startup-ing]

[IT Dong-A Reporter Kim Dong-jin] Synerex is a company that develops and supplies high-precision location information-based satellite navigation devices that serve as guides for autonomous vehicles and drones. Satellite navigation systems (GPS) are used to provide location information by measuring distances using signals fired by multiple satellites orbiting the Earth. Synerex, which has a technology that can provide high-precision location information of less than 2cm on average by correcting satellite signal errors based on a reference station on the ground, is targeting the drone market following car navigation with "remote sensing" technology. We heard what remote sensing technology is and what is useful when used in drones through Dohyun Park , a researcher in charge of drone control and autonomous driving algorithm development.

Dohyun Park , a researcher at Synerex. Source = IT Dong-A

Scalability of high-precision location information…"Drone Flying Assistant(DFA-2000)."

Synerex's high-precision location information technology has various scalability. Researcher Dohyun Park said, "The main technology of Synerex is an high-precision positional navigation system (SMC-2000) that guarantees accuracy of less than 2cm. This accuracy is possible by combining remote sensing technology that observes Earth from space through satellites equipped with observation sensors and ground reference stations that correct errors in satellite signals."

SMC-2000, an high-precision satellite navigation system developed by Synerex. Source = Synerex

The advantage of remote sensing technology based on satellite observation data is that the type, range, and location of data can be customized according to the performance of the machine. For example, you can obtain data tailored to temperature, air pressure, and location information of objects, or even data related to a part of a semiconductor, multiple galaxies, he said. "Especially, with the development of artificial intelligence and robotics, there are unlimited ways to use remote sensing."

Researcher Dohyun Park continued, "High-precision location navigation devices that operate based on remote sensing have recently been installed in drones and used in Drone Flying Assistants (DFA-2000) that help stable operation." The development of Synerex drone control and autonomous driving algorithms focuses on upgrading Drone Flying Assistants(DFA-2000) necessary for drones to operate accurately on a set path. "If the drone can be finely controlled by mounting a remote sensing technology, it is useful to observe crop growth conditions and accumulate data in dangerous areas."

Dohyun Park, a researcher at Synerex who is repairing the drone. Source = IT Dong-A

When asked why they focus on drones among applicable targets, researcher Park said, "The biggest reason is that they can fly itself," adding, "The safety, stability, and necessity of technology are largely divided into the safety of robots." I think that no matter how good the technology is, it can damage people or cannot be commercialized if they do not complete a given mission. In particular, in using the aforementioned remote sensing technology, the most necessary thing to satisfy these two is the function of tracking the exact location information of the operating device in real time. "

He added, "In the case of drones, they are more frequently exposed to the sky environment without obstacles than other devices, so it is relatively easy to track their location and if there are no hardware problems, it is one of the most reliable devices in exploration. In terms of necessity, drones are free to transition to a high degree, making it easy to specify data ranges, are advantageous to track targets, and are relatively free from congestion as a means of transportation and transportation. "It is easy to access high positions where robots that can only be driven by humans or horizontal driving cannot move, so we can explore various areas such as factories and old buildings," he said.

A DFA-2000(Drone Flying Assistant) developed by Synerex. Source = Synerex

Infinite testing for stable drone control...We need to overcome the lack of prior research

Even in the sky without obstacles, there is a big difference in the drone's take-off and landing and driving stability depending on the performance of the GPS module. What is the trial and error that Synerex experienced before securing high-precision location information of less than 2cm.

Researcher Dohyun Park said, "The most recent trial and error was the establishment of a development environment to create drone control algorithms. I remember working hard to create a stable and applicable environment for multiple drones due to a version conflict between the firmware used in the drone and the package to be used. "In addition, several driving tests and algorithm modifications were needed to establish an algorithm for low-speed control of the drone.

He went on to say, "Since both GPS application and utilization of drones have recently begun to attract attention, reference materials such as papers, codes, and practical examples are very insufficient. Therefore, because there is no previous method used, various errors occur in applying it to a given condition and environment, so it seems to experience complex trial and error compared to other fields. "I think developing algorithms that safely pass through sound areas such as remote areas or networks (LTE) is the most difficult task and ultimate goal."

Dohyun Park , a researcher at Synerex. Source = IT Dong-A

Researcher Dohyun Park uses feedback to overcome trial and error and build a sophisticated drone control system.

He said, "I start my day by going to work a little earlier than my colleagues, solving simple math problems or coding problems, and activating my brain. Usually, a weekly meeting on project achievement and direction is held, and then the feedback from the meeting and the coding and search are repeated according to a set schedule, and the necessary parts are made by themselves. "In areas where there is no prior data to refer to, feedback plays a key role in refining drone flying assistants. "Once, we overcame the difficulties by collecting feedback that it was difficult to see the video of the drone flying and the video of checking whether it was going along the route at once, and designing it to make a warning sound when it was out of the route," he recalled.

Advanced DFA-2000(Drone Flying Assistant)...The goal of developing an autonomous driving module

Finally, I asked Park Do-hyun, a researcher, what are his plans and major goals for this year as a Synerex R&D team.

Researcher Park said, "We have set three goals: upgrading DFA-2000(Drone Flying Assistants), commercializing drones, and developing autonomous driving modules," adding, "First of all, we are trying to upgrade drone flying assistants to a more user-friendly way." As mentioned earlier, when flying a drone to obtain a drone certificate, it is not as easy to operate the drone and check the current status at the same time as expected. In order to overcome this, Synerex has developed a DFA-2000(Drone Flying Assistant) that adds a route departure notification sound for each drone flight course, and we are upgrading it by actively reflecting feedback from drone experts, he said.

"In the case of the drone commercialization task, on April 26, the offboard (hardware-based autonomous flight) was successfully taken off and landed at a stable speed with a drone equipped with its ultra-precision location navigation system (SMC-2000). Based on this, we will develop a control system to control mid- to long-distance flights and control them using the LTE function of SMC-2000", he said. "We are also speeding up the development of autonomous driving modules to be used in low-speed vehicles and robots. It also plans to participate in the 2023 Korea Drone and UAM Fair, which will involve major figures such as the president of the Czech drone association, the director of Kenya's Civil Aviation Administration, and the director of Bangladesh's intellectual bureau. I hope you show a lot of interest," he said.

written by IT Dong-A Kim Dong-jin (kdj@itdonga.com )