LG Uplus said on Thursday it will build an AI safety control system based on high-precision positioning (RTK) to improve safety for port workers at Busan New Port Pier 5.

LG Uplus will build the AI safety control system with BNCT, which operates Busan New Port Pier 5, and shipping and port IT firm CyberLogitec. Using RTK, it will identify in real time the locations of moving equipment such as container handling vehicles and workers within the port. If AI-based CCTV analysis foresees a dangerous situation, it will immediately send alerts to workers, equipment and the control center.

LG Uplus stressed that RTK dramatically reduces errors in existing satellite navigation systems such as GPS, also known as GNSS. GNSS can have location errors of up to 15 metres, making it impossible to accurately identify the location of equipment and workers. Ports in particular have many risk factors, including large equipment moving frequently and workers' visibility being restricted by stacked containers, making precise monitoring essential.

LG Uplus applied an RTK method that links ground reference stations with dedicated terminals to track location data in real time. In a demonstration conducted last year, it was able to precisely track the location of straddle carriers within the port to within 1 to 2 cm. It also succeeded in implementing an automatic alarm system based on the distance between workers and equipment.

LG Uplus in particular completed a system that generates correction data from 200 ground reference stations, the largest scale in South Korea, and transmits it in real time without interruption 365 days a year through its own communications infrastructure.

LG Uplus, BNCT and CyberLogitec signed a business agreement in December last year to build an AI-based port safety control system based on the demonstration results. By the second half of this year, it plans to apply RTK to about 70 units of moving equipment currently operating at Busan New Port Pier 5. It also plans to expand application of the RTK control system to other piers within Busan New Port.

Bae Jun-hyung (배준형), head of the mobility business TF, said, "By combining RTK-based high-precision positioning with AI technology, we significantly strengthened the safety of port workers." He added, "We will continue to use advanced technology to contribute to building a safe port."