If you watch the famous Japanese animation Doraemon, you can see that Doraemon, the main character from the future, receives his parcels from a drone . Getting what you need from flying objects is no longer limited to animation. Amazon succeeded in delivering a parcel via a drone. If you walk around CBNU, you will find it easy to see a machine receiving customers’ orders. Due to the developments of unmanned systems, many changes have occurred in society. Let’s look at these changes. -Ed.


  The CBT interviewed CBNU students about their experiences with using unmanned systems. Lena (’13, Dept. of International Business) said, “When I used it in Gong-cha, due to the many choices, I waited a long time at the counter. After operating the unmanned system, I felt more comfortable and ordered quickly the next time.” Moon Seon-jeong (’14, Dept. of Management Information Systems) said, “I used an unmanned photo studio. As it is inexpensive, simple and convenient, I use it to make memories with my friend.” Kang In-sol (’17, Dept. of Food Science & Biotechnology), who works in a fast-food restaurant, said, “When I work as a service worker, customers’ claims are the biggest burden. By using an unmanned system, it is convenient to reduce the direct contact with the customers. However, senior citizens feel uncomfortable with using the unmanned systems.” Many students have been using the unmanned systems and feel comfortable with them.

The Unmanned Supermarket, Amazon Go

  Today, many people use unmanned systems in various fields. In the United States, there is Amazon Go. As its name indicates, this is the world’s first unmanned supermarket, which was established by the famous online commerce company Amazon. Amazon’s unmanned store opened to the public on January 22, 2018.
  The way of using the new supermarkets is simple. When entering the store, a QR code is recognized by a scanner to calculate the amount of the products automatically. Shoppers can choose products freely, and the products that they choose are remembered in the application automatically. When the shoppers walk out with the products, the bill will be paid immediately.
  Supermarkets are typically full of shoppers, so the long waiting time would be a burden to shoppers who want to purchase something quickly. Amazon Go’s promotional phrase is ‘No Lines, No Checkout’, as the waiting time is removed. In addition, the costs of recruiting people, supervising, and managing the stores are greatly reduced. It will support effective management of stores and increase profits.
  However, if there were a technical problem, people would have to line up in front of the entrance, not the counter. Countermeasures need to be prepared. Unfortunately, employees are still required to manage inventories or sell alcohol, and when this kind of market is universalized, job losses are inevitable.

A Promising Unmanned System Drone

  A drone is defined as an aircraft or helicopter-shaped flying object that flies via radio waves. At first, the drone was developed for the military. However, drones are widely used for research purposes. Drones go to places that are difficult to survey to collect the necessary data.
  An example of using drones is the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics. A drone show was held in the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Olympics. 1,218 drones traced the Olympic flag and the mascot Soohorang. This show astonished the crowd, and it showed the development of drone’s control technology.
  CBT surveyed 86 university students to investigate what people think about drones being used in society. 91.9 percent of the students already knew the numerous drone applications. Also, most students (91.9%) felt positive about using unmanned systems. Among the various fields which drones are used in, students responded that photography received the most positive effect. The survey results also showed that drones are being used effectively in transportation (27.9%), crackdowns on crime (25.6%), and research (9.3%). On the other hand, people are concerned about crimes involving drones. Furthermore, invasion of privacy (36%) and job reduction (5.8%) show the negative worries of drone applications. Also, there are various opinions about illegal photography and accidents that might occur if a machine breaks down.
  There are still pros and cons about drones. According to the survey, drones have positive effects on photography. Drones can take photos where humans cannot go. Also, opening up new routes through the sky can facilitate faster and more effective transportation. Drones can make it easy to deliver aid supplies to remote areas and can save lives. With advancements in drones, Alibaba as well as Amazon have delivery systems using drones. Also, many companies have developed a drone taxi to solve traffic problems. Some experts expect jobs related to the development of drone software to increase.
  However, the negative aspects of drone applications cannot be neglected. Drone taxies and delivery businesses will threaten people’s livelihoods. Moreover, there are concerns about invasion of privacy because drones have free access to areas where people cannot go. Furthermore, this can be exploited by criminals. Lastly, as can be seen from the drone crash at the recent Jinju Yudeung Festival, mechanical failures of drones are a worry.

  Lee Min-gyu, a professor in the Dept. of Public Administration, said, “The benefits of unmanned systems are convenience for consumers and a reduction in costs in business. Therefore, unmanned systems will be applied to various fields in the long term. However, the development of unmanned systems might create problems that can lead to ethical issues such as job losses and widening the gap in wealth. Therefore, practical uses of the unmanned systems cannot be concluded as good or bad. To solve the problems, various alternatives, such as robot taxes, are necessary. In order to prepare for the future, the government must continue to seek alternative solutions. In addition, social consensus is needed.”
  Jung Jin-sup, a professor in the Dept. International Business Administration, said, “The development of unmanned systems will continue. Therefore, we should think of the unmanned systems as a trend, not as a reduction of jobs. I think it’s an inevitable that simple jobs will decrease. Even if the number of simple tasks is reduced, the introduction of the systems will create other jobs that people can do. Of course we need more time. To solve the problems, the government should anticipate simple job losses and then provide corresponding welfare. The development of technology is encouraging, but we need to adjust with a consideration for the public.”
  The development of science has made it easy to see unmanned systems in everyday life. The unmanned systems are bringing many conveniences to our daily lives. However, with the use of unmanned systems in various fields, many problems are occurring. To make good use of the unmanned systems, proper resolutions of these matters are needed. The government should try to identify and resolve problems quickly. In addition, people should be concerned about problems that could arise from the unmanned systems.

By Jung Jun-hoe | jjh38@cbnu.ac.kr
By Lee So-yoon | sy39@cbnu.ac.kr
By Park Se-hoon | sh39@cbnu.ac.kr