Researchers develop new technology to detect and track illegal flying drones

A South Korean research team has succeeded in developing a new technology that can detect and track illegal flying drones that cause crimes such as unauthorized flying, terrorism, and privacy invasion. This technology is expected to strengthen national security and enhance public safety against the threat of illegal drones.

The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) have developed technology to detect and track illegal drones using an EO/IR (Electro-Optics/Infrared) linked radar system. The institute has successfully commercialized the technology by transferring it to Samjung Solution Co., Ltd., and it is now close to being deployed in the field.

ETRI’s EO/IR-linked radar technology for illegal drone detection and tracking is designed to detect, track, and identify incoming drones by automatically directing EO/IR sensors toward the target detected by radar. The system is based on a radar subsystem and an EO/IR subsystem.

The radar subsystem was co-developed by ETRI and Hanwha Systems Co., Ltd., and is designed to detect small drones within a 5km radius using the Ku-band, avoiding the X-band, which is widely used for military purposes.

The EO/IR subsystem was independently developed by ETRI. This subsystem receives target information from the radar, uses an EO/IR camera to capture video footage of the target, and then detects, tracks, and identifies the drone based on that footage. The EO/IR subsystem can detect and track targets up to 3km away and can determine whether a flying object is a drone when it comes within 2km.

Meanwhile, ETRI transferred this technology to Samjung Solution Co., Ltd. in 2022. Samjung Solution then commercialized the technology through the Short-Term Security R&D Technology Commercialization Project, which ran from April 2022 to March 2024, as part of the Police Technology Commercialization Project, which was led by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korean National Police Agency.

As part of this project, Samjung Solution developed an integrated solution for low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles and successfully registered their ‘Vehicle-type Integrated Solution System,’ developed on July 18, in the Nara Marketplace of the Public Procurement Service.

ETRI used this technology during the 2024 Ulchi Training for an illegal drone response exercise. On August 20, the research team successfully detected and tracked a drone remotely as it attempted to infiltrate ETRI headquarters. Once the drone was within visual range, they confirmed its presence and successfully neutralized it by jamming its signals.

Through this training, it was confirmed that the illegal drone detection and tracking technology using ETRI’s EO/IR-linked radar system can be effectively applied in the actual field. With the successful development of this technology, ETRI is expected to contribute to strengthening national security and emerge as a leader in security and defense technology, protecting the safety of the nation and the public.

Cha Ji-Hun, Director of ETRI’s Autonomous UAV Research Section, stated, “Our EO/IR-linked radar system for illegal drone detection and tracking is an advanced technology that can respond quickly and accurately to external threats posed by illegal drones. This new technology is expected to play a pivotal role in enhancing national security and public safety. ETRI will continue to devote its efforts to developing innovative solutions that contribute to national security and public safety.”

Researchers involved in this project expect that this technology will be used in a variety of fields such as monitoring and surveillance for illegal drones at major events, public facilities, sports arenas, VIP protection, border patrol, coastline monitoring, drone traffic control, UTM-based facilities, and more.