MOIS Selects 10 Public Ideas on Large-Vehicle Right Turns and Flood Rescue

[Financial News] A robot that can calculate the right-turn route of large vehicles in advance to warn pedestrians of danger, and another that can locate people needing rescue in flood-hit areas after torrential rain, have been selected as candidate government research and development projects.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) said on the 31st that it had selected 10 outstanding ideas from the '2026 Life Safety R&D Idea Contest.' A total of 328 entries were submitted across eight categories, including natural disasters and climate change, crowd accidents, maritime accidents, major fires, collapse accidents, water-related accidents, traffic accidents and elevator accidents. The ideas were evaluated through expert review and an online public judging process based on the need for R&D, feasibility and creativity.
Among the Interior and Safety Minister's Awards was 'A Real-Time Trajectory Prediction and Warning System to Prevent Large-Vehicle Right-Turn Accidents.' The system analyzes the movement of large vehicles using sensors installed at intersections and calculates their expected path in real time when they turn right. It alerts pedestrians to danger by projecting lasers or lights onto areas where a collision risk exists. The proposed technology would predict vehicle movement in 0.1-second intervals and achieve accuracy of more than 95%.
An idea that uses AI cameras to analyze pedestrian movement in school zones and senior zones to encourage vehicles to slow down was also selected. If warning signs such as slower walking speed or loss of balance are detected, the system sends a slowdown alert to vehicles and uses roadside electronic signs and speakers to warn drivers and pedestrians of the danger.
An unmanned robot designed to patrol flooded areas and rescue people during torrential rain was also chosen. Equipped with thermal and optical cameras and search lights, the robot can move on land, underwater and even fly through the air, allowing it to find people in need of rescue at night. The live video would be transmitted in real time to the 112 emergency call center, and a lifting function capable of hoisting 150 to 200 kilograms was also proposed.
Also among the Interior and Safety Minister's Award winners were a system that installs LED lights on subway station ceilings to guide passengers to transfer lines and exits, and a technology that uses AI to analyze sounds from mechanical devices when an elevator stops due to a power outage and identify the elevator's location.
KEIT's President's Awards went to technologies that detect the risk of collapse in small bridges over streams during heavy rain, a system that marks the movement of autonomous vehicles on the road to alert pedestrians, and smart drop-off zones for children. Other winners included a water-rescue device that extends a long buoyant body to the accident site in the event of a ship accident, and a rescue signal device that uses fluorescent dye that spreads when it touches seawater.
Five Interior and Safety Minister's Awards and five KEIT President's Awards will be presented to the winners. The ceremony will be held on the opening day of the K-Safety Expo on the 2nd of next month.
MOIS plans to select ideas with strong potential for R&D and practical use from among the winning entries and push them forward as new projects for next year.


[email protected] Lee Bo-mi Reporter