High-tech guardians: Korea deploys AI patrol robots to protect historic palaces

Korea's Royal Palaces and Tombs Center, under the Royal Heritage Administration, announced Friday it is launching a four-month field test of autonomous AI patrol robots at Deoksu Palace and the Seooreung Royal Tombs through November, expanding on a two-month trial at Changdeok Palace. The robots use LiDAR sensors and vision-based AI to monitor conditions and assist human guards in protecting historic sites.

Standing outside ancient wooden pavilions and sprawling royal mausoleums, Korea is turning to artificial intelligence and robotics to safeguard its centuries-old cultural heritage against physical threats and environmental hazards. The Royal Palaces and Tombs Center, an arm of the Royal Heritage Administration, said Friday that it is launching field testing for autonomous AI patrol robots across major historic sites. Building on a brief two-month trial at Changdeok Palace earlier this year, the new initiative expands field testing to Deoksu Palace and the Seooreung Royal Tombs through November. The four-month pilot program tests how different robotic designs navigate the delicate, varied terrain of Korea's royal grounds. While traditional security setups often struggle with vast outdoor spaces, these autonomous machines will roam predetermined routes using light detection and ranging LiDAR sensors alongside vision-based artificial intelligence to monitor site conditions and assist human guard forces. The initiative highlights a growing urgency across Korea to fortify vulnerable histor