Daedong to Develop On-Device Semiconductors for Agricultural “Physical AI” Technology
“New MOU with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy for K-On-Device AI Semiconductor Development”
Daedong to Develop On-Device Semiconductors for Agricultural “Physical AI” Technology
- Collaborating as the leading company in the agricultural sector on the Ministry’s KRW 1 trillion on-device AI semiconductor ecosystem strategy
- Developing semiconductor technology and building an ecosystem specialized for agricultural robots and autonomous farming machinery utilizing physical AI
- Securing core technologies needed for global competition, transforming into an AI and robotics company, and leading the AI transformation of domestic agriculture
Daedong, which is transitioning into an AI and robotics company, is preparing for the era of physical AI by participating in the development of on-device AI semiconductors.
Daedong, a leader and pioneer in future agriculture (co-CEOs Kim Jun-sik and Won Yu-hyun), announced on May 21 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for “K-On-Device AI Semiconductor Technology Development” with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology, Korea Semiconductor Industry Association, Korea Fabless Industry Association, and major manufacturing companies.
At the “AI Semiconductor Collaboration Forum” hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on the 20th, this agreement was signed with the core goal of driving the advancement of Korea’s semiconductor industry and securing manufacturing competitiveness by having AI semiconductor end-users, fabless companies, and related organizations jointly develop K-On-Device AI semiconductor technology. To this end, the Ministry is planning and promoting a KRW 1 trillion “K-On-Device Technology Development” project to gain an early lead in the era of physical AI. The plan is to develop AI semiconductor technology and build an ecosystem through collaboration between domestic fabless companies and demand companies in four key sectors: automotive, IoT, robotics, and defense.
With this agreement, Daedong plans to actively participate in the development of on-device AI semiconductor technology and secure future product competitiveness. In future agriculture, represented by precision agriculture and smart farming, on-device AI is essential for AI-based autonomous driving, growth diagnostics, and autonomous operations, making AI semiconductor technology and the development of a related ecosystem extremely important. Daedong is pursuing the development of AI semiconductor technology specialized for agricultural robots and autonomous farming machinery through strategic collaborations with the system semiconductor industry, promoting technical cooperation from the product planning stage. Leveraging these efforts, the company plans to apply AI and robotics technologies to all its products in the mid- to long-term, thereby strengthening its global competitiveness.
Currently, Daedong is actively applying physical AI technology to its autonomous farming machinery and robotics products. In November last year, it became the first in the industry to unveil a Level 4 autonomous on-device AI tractor capable of fully autonomous farming operations, with plans to commercialize it in 2026. Development is underway on Level 5 autonomous farming machines capable of coordinated swarm operations, with the goal of completing them by 2030. Additionally, Daedong plans to launch an upgraded model of its agricultural transport robot, released in February, equipped with object recognition tracking and autonomous driving technology in the second half of this year. In the long term, the company aims to evolve this product into a multi-functional agricultural robot by combining it with various attachments. Daedong is pushing its R&D on AI technology based on the three pillars of mobility, operation, and decision making. With this agreement serving as a turning point, the company aims to secure high-performance, low-power AI semiconductors for agricultural operations that enable real-time decision-making and control, putting it on par with leading global companies. Through these efforts, Daedong also plans to further accelerate the AI transformation of domestic agriculture.
