– From detection to action: Autonomous drones will deploy, deliver life-saving equipment, recharge and redeploy as part of a 24/7 Physical AI emergency response system
PRENEU Co., Ltd. (CEO Lee Jong-kyeong), a Korean UAV manufacturer and technology company, has been selected for the 2026 AI Applied Product Rapid Commercialization Support Project, led by Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT and the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA). Through the project, PRENEU will help develop a Physical AI-powered autonomous drone response system designed to prevent suicide attempts and accelerate life-saving operations along Seoul’s Han River.
The project aims to address one of Korea’s most serious social challenges by combining AI with autonomous drone technology for faster, more proactive emergency response. With every second critical in water rescue, the system is designed to connect the entire response cycle—from detecting a potentially life-threatening situation to taking physical action at the scene.
From AI That Sees to Drones That Act
At the heart of the system is Physical AI: technology that goes beyond analyzing data by connecting AI perception and decision-making with physical action in the real world.
When AI detects an emergency, PRENEU’s autonomous drone will be dispatched to the scene, navigate to the person in distress and precisely air-drop life-saving equipment. After completing its mission, the drone will return to an automated drone station to recharge and prepare for its next deployment.
Situation Detection → AI Decision → Autonomous Deployment → Precision Air-Drop → Automated Return & Recharge → Redeployment
This transforms drones from conventional surveillance and imaging platforms into “Physical First Responders” capable of taking immediate action in real-world emergencies.
PRENEU Technology Enables 24/7 Autonomous Response
Within the consortium, PRENEU will lead the development and field validation of the drone response capabilities, building on its proprietary UAV platforms and autonomous flight technologies.
By integrating autonomous flight, precision air-drop and automated drone station technologies into a single operational system, PRENEU aims to enable rapid deployment, delivery of life-saving equipment, automated return and recharging, and continuous readiness for 24/7 emergency response.
The project, internally named “Poong-dong” (Proactive Detection & Autonomous Response System Powered by Physical AI for Suicide Rescue), is led by Cranberry Co., Ltd., with PRENEU and JDONE Co., Ltd. participating as joint executing organizations. The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Future Han River Project Headquarters and the 119 Special Rescue Service will support field demonstration and operations.
“Detecting danger is only the first step. What matters is how quickly AI intelligence can be translated into real-world action,” a PRENEU official said. “By combining our autonomous flight, precision air-drop and automated drone station technologies, we aim to build a 24/7 autonomous rescue support system capable of responding within the critical golden hour.”
“Through this project, we aim to evolve drones beyond conventional flight platforms into Physical AI UAV platforms capable of perceiving real-world conditions and executing missions based on intelligent decisions. We see significant potential to extend these technologies into disaster response, firefighting and broader public safety applications.”
PRENEU has also been expanding its presence in the defense sector, recently securing the Military Educational Commercial Drone Supply Project and being selected as a defense company under DAPA’s 2026 Innovative Premier 1000 program. Building on its proprietary UAV platforms, autonomous flight and integrated operation technologies, PRENEU continues to expand across defense, public safety and next-generation Physical AI applications.