The UnderGround Safety (UGS) Convergence Research Department at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced on Monday plans to install a sinkhole risk monitoring system at Wangsimni Station. (Image: Kobiz Media)
SEOUL, Jul. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — A government-backed research institute in South Korea is trialing an IoT-based sinkhole prevention technology at one of the busiest subway stations in Seoul.
The UnderGround Safety (UGS) Convergence Research Department at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced on Monday plans to install a sinkhole risk monitoring system at Wangsimni Station.
The system, which the UGS research team began developing last October, will be able to assess the risk of sinkholes in real time through sensors deployed in drain pipes in the vicinity of the station, while an antenna will be erected on a manhole nearby to receive the information from the sensors.
Dubbed ‘UGS Service Platform’, the new IoT-based project will create a 3D video of the underground area surrounding the subway station, while assessing the possibility of subsidence in the area.
Since its establishment in 2014, the research team has dedicated its efforts and budget of 31.5 billion won to developing an IoT-based underground safety assessment technology that could prevent sinkholes or subsidence.
Some of the team’s achievements include underground sensors and real-time environment monitoring systems.
The UnderGround Safety (UGS) Convergence Research Department at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced on Monday plans to install a sinkhole risk monitoring system at Wangsimni Station. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
“The success of this project was made possible with the help of talented researchers from government-backed research institutes. To speed up the process of commercialization, beginning in Seongdong District, we’ll proliferate our research findings and do our best to ensure the safety of citizens,” said Lee In-hwan, the chief researcher at the UnderGround Safety (UGS) Convergence Research Department.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
