Korea Forest Environment Management System Using Special Mission Autonomous Mobility (K-FEMS) is a research and development project focused on the integration of autonomous mobility platforms, digital twin technologies, and advanced wildfire modeling to enhance forest environment management in the Republic of Korea.

The project develops an integrated forest environment management system that combines special mission autonomous mobility with digital platforms for real-time data acquisition, analysis, and decision support. The system is designed to improve the efficiency, spatial coverage, and operational effectiveness of forest monitoring and management activities across extensive and difficult-to-access forest areas.

 

K-FEMS is a technical follow-up to the earlier Digital Twin Construction of Forest Environment in the Republic of Korea (DTCFE) project and addresses forest environment management systems in Korea using special mission autonomous mobility.

Prof. Kim and the AFE's FLAM research team will cooperate to develop an integrated system to support the management of forest areas affected by natural hazards.

 

This project is part of the “Unmanned Autonomous Driving Mobility Industry Promotion” project, promoted by the Korean government. The initiative focuses on research and development of unmanned, automated, and autonomous mobility solutions to enhance the efficiency of forest management across vast forest areas. Various mission-specific equipment will be installed according to the design and function of the unmanned vehicles, while operation programs and integrated control systems will be developed.

 

Project Objectives

The project aims to establish a comprehensive technological framework that supports continuous forest monitoring, hazard assessment, and operational planning. Core system components include:

  1. Design and development of unmanned platforms capable of operating across land, water, and aerial environments.
  2. Development of digital twin and GIS-based operation programs to support autonomous forest area surveys.
  3. Creation of data platforms to support comprehensive forest environment assessments, including forest health monitoring, pest detection, and forest fire risk analysis, based on multi-sensor data integration and advanced analytics.

 

Funding and Institutional Framework

The project is funded through a collaboration involving Jeonju University OKTA RnD, with scientific and technical contributions from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), in particular the Agriculture, Forestry, and Ecosystem Services (AFE) Research Group.

Prof. Kim Donghyun contributes specialized expertise in disaster management and wildfire modeling.

Project outcomes will also contribute to national research and operational programs of the Korea Forest Service and the National Information Society Agency.