Demolition robots, pothole detectors among 26 AI products to receive 75 billion won in government support

AI technologies designed to improve public safety and convenience — from daily commutes on city roads to indoor living spaces in apartment buildings — are set to reach the market.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced Thursday that it had selected 26 AI-integrated products and services through an open competition under the "AX-Sprint" rapid AI commercialization support project, a joint initiative involving 11 government ministries. The ministry said it will begin full-scale project implementation starting with the signing of agreements.

Introduced for the first time this year, AX-Sprint differs from conventional support programs that focused on technology development alone. The project targets finished products ready for market launch within one to two years, with the aim of making AI's benefits tangible to the public.

The competition for land and transport AI applications ran for one month from March 19, divided into two categories: land and transport, and roads and mobility. A total of 147 proposals were submitted, recording an average competition ratio of 5.9 to 1. Of those, 26 projects were selected — 14 in land and transport and 12 in roads and mobility — based on their commercialization potential and expected public impact. The government plans to provide a total of 75 billion won ($48.8 million) in funding over the next two years.

Support is divided into two tracks based on projected market launch timelines. Sixteen projects on the "Agile Track," targeting market launch within one year, will receive 60 billion won this year. Ten projects on the "Build-up Track," aimed at completion within two years, will receive 15 billion won through next year.

The selected projects include technologies intended to transform safety in everyday life and industrial settings. In the land and transport category, the lineup features a spatial intelligence robot that autonomously recognizes indoor environments and delivers items to apartments and offices; an AI construction robot that performs hazardous demolition work in place of human workers; and an AI safety measurement device that uses contactless analysis of railway workers' multiple biometric signals to identify high-risk individuals.

In the roads and mobility category, the selected projects address longstanding road safety challenges. They include an autonomous safety robot that protects workers in road construction zones; a technology that automatically detects potholes in real time and analyzes road conditions; and a technology that uses real-time AI traffic analysis to improve convenience for both pedestrians and drivers.

Land Minister Kim Yun-deok said AX-Sprint is "a practical program that rapidly deploys developed AI technologies in the field to directly improve people's quality of life." Kim added that the ministry would "work closely with related ministries to deliver results that the public can feel across all areas of land and transport, and will spare no effort in follow-up support including procurement and market access."

Meanwhile, the Land and Transport Technology Expo, hosted by the ministry, opened Tuesday under the theme "Technologies That Change the Future." A total of 81 organizations are participating, operating five themed zones — mobility, smart construction, AI city, aerospace and innovative enterprises — alongside a main exhibition hall.