APP NOTIFYING USERS OF DANGERS

[Anchor Lead]

Korea's central region has been hit hard by the recent torrential rains. A smartphone app has been developed to notify users of dangers in daily life. The demonstration of the new technology is underway.

[Pkg]

A pedestrian spots road work ahead, takes a photo with his smartphone and proceeds to post it on an app called K-Guard. Moments later, another pedestrian in the area receives a notice. The K-Guard app tells users in advance to take caution because of construction works nearby.

[Soundbite] Ryu Chang-hoon(K-Guard APP User) : "It makes a big difference to be aware of dangers you may face. It helps you prepare in advance."

The app was developed by the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute to notify in real time of 11 kinds of perils, like floods, fires and missing people. The app uses data collected via sensors provided by state agencies or public institutions, such as the land ministry and the Korea Meteorological Administration. Images of dangers posted on the app by users are also transmitted to others. An AI technology used in the app analyzes the type of perils and automatically notify users according to their location, age and the presence of disabilities even when their apps are not running.

[Soundbite] Kim Yong-un(Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute) : "Data on dangers is processed by AI and marked with different safety levels according to how dangerous it is."

The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute will demonstrate the app to some 200 Daegu residents over three months before launching its pilot operation in the entire city next spring.