Nearthlab Wins IR52 Jang Young-Shil Award for Vision AI-Powered Flight Control Technology
April 11, 2025 - Nearthlab has been awarded the 106th IR52 Jang Young-Shil Award, presented by the Ministry of Science and ICT, for its groundbreaking vision AI-based flight control technology. This innovation allows drones to detect targets and generate flight paths using only onboard cameras - eliminating the need for costly LiDAR sensors.
Named after the legendary 15th-century Korean scientist and inventor Jang Young-Shil, the award is regarded as Korea’s most prestigious accolade in industrial technology innovation. Since its establishment in 1991, it has celebrated groundbreaking technologies that combine technical excellence with proven commercial impact. Receiving this award places Nearthlab among the country's most distinguished technological innovators.
The awarded technology forms the core of the company's drone lineup. It was first commercialized in the wind energy sector through NearthWind Mobile, a mobile app-based autonomous inspection solution. With just a smartphone and a standard commercial drone, users can perform fully automated inspection missions simply by downloading the NearthWind Mobile app—no specialized equipment or training needed. This solution has proven instrumental in mitigating labor shortages in the energy sector while significantly enhancing field efficiency. Crucially, this breakthrough allows for high-precision inspections using lightweight commercial drones, eliminating the need for bulky, costly industrial models. This not only reduces operational complexity but also enables easier deployment in regions with regulatory or logistical limitations.
Nearthlab continues to expand the reach of its vision AI technology beyond energy, integrating it into next-generation systems such as the AiDEN and KAiDEN.
“Our technology was born from a desire to solve real-world challenges, and we’re honored to see its impact recognized through this award,” said Jay Choi, CEO of Nearthlab. “We’ll continue pushing forward to ensure our innovations enhance safety and efficiency across industries worldwide.”
[From left: Crew member Seungbeom Son, Director Byungyoon Lee, Vice President Youngsuk Jung, and Tech Lead Junyong Lee]