On July 9, UNIST held a signboard-hanging ceremony for the new research center for the study of autonomous systems for environmental monitoring and disaster management.
The new center will serve as a dedicated research center for the successful investigation of how autonomous surveillance systems can fit into disaster management and routine monitoring of environmental health hazards. Following the ceremony, the center also held a hybrid academic workshop to seek opportunities on collaborative projects.
The center was selected as the University–focused Research Center Support Project, organized by the Ministry of Education in 2020. Through this project, the center will receive 7.9 billion won in research funding from the government and Ulsan Metropolitan City for up to 9 years in order to foster human resources and to help put in place the necessary technologies.
In particular, the center will be monitoring industrial complexes on a regular and immediate basis by utilizing drones, equipped with high-tech sensors, and provide a foundation, aimed at ensuring timely disaster preparation and effective emergency response.
Headed by Professor Jaesung Jang (Department of Mechanical Engineering, UNIST), the center will be participated by 5 professors in related disciplines. This includes Professors Hungsun Son, Hyondong Oh, and Heungjoo Shin from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, as well as Professor Jae Joon Kim (Department of Electrical Engineering) and Professor Sung-Deuk Choi (Department of Urban and Environmental Engineering).
The ceremony has been attended by Dean Sung Youb Kim (College of Engineering, UNIST), Head Young-Bin Park (Department of Mechanical Engineering, UNIST), Director Jaesung Jang (UNIST), and other key officials from Ulsan Metropolitan City, Ulsan IT Industry Promotion Agency (UIPA), National Disaster Management Research Institute (NDMI), and Ulsan Development Institute (UDI).
