Drone Delivery Perfected with Our Technology

Please introduce yourself briefly.

I am Ahn Seong-ho, CEO of Vololand Inc. I have always been thinking about the future of the aerospace industry and the role of drones. Drones are a product of convergence of various fields such as mechanical, electrical, electronics, communications, navigation, software, networks, and security technologies, and I have diverse experience in these areas.

I attended the National Busan Technical High School, where I studied electrical and electronics engineering. Later, I wanted to learn software, so I entered university majoring in computer science and worked in related fields for several years. I also served as a non-commissioned officer in the Air Force, specializing in the maintenance of avionics, communications, and navigation equipment. It’s a bit long, but for four years I maintained various electronic equipment on F-5 fighter jets at the Gangneung Combat Flight Group.

After discharge, I worked as a developer in an IT company, then started working in the shipbuilding and marine electrical design field through a friend’s introduction, where I stayed for about 15 years. However, the shipbuilding industry has big cycles, so I looked for new opportunities in IT and eventually began working in the drone industry. Vololand was established in 2021. We have worked hard to contribute to the drone industry, and thanks to the efforts and dedication of our employees, we have achieved remarkable results in a short period. I am also preparing my master’s thesis in unmanned aerial vehicle engineering at Kyungwoon University and continue to study with a mindset of constant learning to improve my expertise.

I believe that the role of drone developers and manufacturers like us is not just about the delivery service itself, but mainly about building strong and safe drones through professional technology to ensure stable service performance. We plan to continue government-led demonstration projects for the safe deployment of our drones for the foreseeable future.

 

You participated in this year’s drone demonstration city project in Ulju County, Ulsan. Could you please provide an overall evaluation of this year’s project?

Ulju County is a rare city that encompasses mountains, valleys, and the sea. It is also well known as a tourist destination. This year, we successfully completed a drone delivery project to Ganwoljae, a mountainous area over 900 meters high, achieving something no one else had done before. This accomplishment not only opened new market opportunities for the local businesses but also provided a safe drone delivery service. I am very satisfied that we took on this difficult challenge and completed it without a single accident.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology, Ulju County officials, and Sejong Cyber University, which supported logistics and distribution integration. I also want to thank RidixLab and JiaSoft for developing the drone delivery app, AirLabs Korea for building the flight routes, and AMP and many others who have stood by us even during difficult times. Without their advice and hard work, this project would not have reached this point. Most importantly, I am deeply thankful to our Vololand team members who devoted their precious weekends to K-Drone Delivery.

Thanks to everyone’s dedication, Vololand was selected as the top-performing company among 16 drone delivery operators this year and received the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award. We see this as encouragement to work even harder and will continue to support and challenge ourselves in advancing the drone industry. Personally, I am very encouraged by the successful application of our self-developed flight controller ‘NarinFC,’ which demonstrated excellent performance, ensured drone safety, and contributed to import substitution.

One of the most memorable moments this year was the successful drone delivery conducted on November 27 during heavy snowfall by the Army’s 28th Infantry Division. The delivery was part of a blood transport training exercise carried out under the South Korea-U.S. joint military cooperation. The delivery drone (VL-1300A) took off from the rear, carrying blood and medicine, and flew safely to a simulated frontline area where a patient was assumed. The flight distance was 22 km and was conducted fully autonomously. The estimated flight time was 27 minutes, but the drone arrived in 25 minutes, aided by tailwinds—proving the accuracy of the flight time estimate. After landing, the battery had 20% charge remaining, suggesting it could have flown up to 25 km. I felt very proud that our drone contributes not only to food delivery but also to saving lives. After the training, we received a letter of appreciation from the commander of the 28th Infantry Division.

 

Vololand has also steadily developed its “drone stations.” Could you explain Vololand’s station technology?

We have developed two types of stations: the charging station and the battery-swapping station. The purpose of these stations is to create an unmanned system that enables automatic drone operation. Our drones are primarily designed for special purposes such as commercial, industrial, military, and control applications, mostly demanded by public institutions. The stations help operate these drones conveniently and safely without manual piloting.

The charging station stores and charges drones and can automatically launch them at preset times. After completing their flight, drones return to recharge. It also supports emergency flights. However, after about 30 minutes of flight, a drone requires about an hour to recharge.

In cases like wildfire monitoring or mountain rescue where injured hikers request help, multiple drones need to operate in shifts. To accommodate this, we are developing a tower-type station that holds four drones. Drone 1 departs first; before it returns, drone 2 is launched. They alternate to continuously monitor the site. When a drone returns, its battery is swapped out, which takes just 1 to 2 minutes. This is the battery-swapping station.

We plan to further advance station technology and link it with delivery drones. For example, we are developing stations where users can log in with an ID and password to pick up packages themselves.

The tower-type multi-station is shaped like an apartment building stacked in multiple layers, where charged batteries are swapped in and out.

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Vololand’s heavy-lift delivery drone, Hercules, has a payload capacity of 50 kg. Beyond food delivery, it has many other applications.

Currently, drones are classified as devices with up to 150 kg payload. We plan to develop a new model called Galaxy next year with a payload capacity around 300 kg. Our VL-2240 “Hercules” drone carries a maximum payload of 50 kg. Next year, we aim to operate drones with payloads up to 100 kg.

Hercules was originally not designed for food delivery. Ulsan has many nuclear power plants, right? If an accident occurs at a plant, we need to be able to deliver emergency relief supplies quickly. Our drone can carry radiation relief supplies to hard-to-reach areas. Hercules can transport 60 sets of radiation relief kits with its 50 kg payload.

As you mentioned, a 50 kg payload can serve diverse purposes, including delivery to mountainous and maritime locations and even military use. If battery technology improves, flight time and utility will further increase. Currently, we mainly use lithium-polymer batteries, but using lighter alternatives like conductor batteries or lithium-metal batteries could enhance efficiency.

Our first Hercules drone is currently on display at the National Aviation Museum.

 

Vololand is dedicated to domestic production of key drone components such as flight controllers and mission computers. Could you explain the related technology?

One meaningful achievement in this year’s delivery project is that we equipped our drones with our own flight controller product. Among the 14 participating local governments, we are likely the only company to have done this. Many drone companies still use the Taiwanese product called “Cube Orange,” and we also imported and used it for a while. But now, we use our own “NarinFC (Flight Controller),” which offers superior flight control compared to the Taiwanese product. “Narin” is a pure Korean word meaning “given from the sky.” All our drones this year have been equipped with NarinFC, and we have also delivered drones fitted with it. While there are a few companies in Korea that develop their own FCs, none are publicly sold or used in actual operations. We are now preparing to export NarinFC to the United States. Considering entry into the U.S. defense sector, none of the components—semiconductor chips, sensors, and others—used in NarinFC come from China or Taiwan.

Currently, our drones are composed almost entirely of domestic parts, excluding the motors and propellers. We are actively meeting with specialized companies to localize motors and propellers as well. We are steadily cooperating with companies willing to pursue domestic production. The day when we achieve 100% localization is near.

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What suggestions would you make from a company’s perspective to ensure the success of the drone delivery business?

The drone delivery demonstration project must not be interrupted. It needs to continue until the “demonstration” label is no longer necessary. If you don’t give up, it is not a failure. Of course, companies must operate drones safely, but a single crash should not be regarded as failure. This is a business for the future, and it must continue.

However, profitability is still insufficient and requires further review. Until profitability stabilizes, government and local government support is essential. The current business structure makes it difficult to expect profits. One battery costs about one million KRW, and can be used for fewer than 300 flights. At a delivery fee of 3,000 KRW per trip, that doesn’t even cover the cost of one battery, not to mention labor costs. As you know, public transportation such as subways and buses receive national funding, and drone delivery similarly requires ongoing government support.

Currently, the U.S. bans imports of Chinese drones, while China is also refusing to sell to the U.S. and Europe. For national security reasons, localization is absolutely necessary. I believe this project also has an “import substitution effect.” We are conducting business using drones we made, not foreign imports. Our domestically made parts have proven their excellent performance. If each side focuses on its strengths, we can grow together and achieve common goals.

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Any final remarks?

The government has supported drone research and development in recent years, and I hope this support continues. Once drones are localized, the industry will shift from the introduction phase to maturity. I hope many public institutions and local governments buy Korean-made drones instead of DJI’s.

Also, I hope drone companies avoid low-cost bidding. Sometimes companies win government projects by bidding low, which is unfortunate. Some of these companies end up failing.

The business is still challenging, but it has been rewarding and enjoyable, which has brought us this far. The important thing is that much work remains. Drone delivery has many applications, and we must consider integration with stations and last-mile robots. These will gradually be introduced next year or the year after. Some restaurants already use serving robots. I believe it won’t be long before robots deliver food to village community centers in Ulju County as well.