[2025 Naju Innovation Cluster Company CEO] ‘GF,’ Developer of an AI-Based Disease and Pest Detection System and an ROS2-Based Autonomous Agricultural Robot Platform

Kwon gyeong ju, CEO of GF

Fusion of cutting-edge technologies such as AI, robotics, IoT, and machine vision
Focused on solving persistent problems in smart agriculture

GF is developing an AI-based disease and pest detection system and a ROS2-based autonomous agricultural robot platform. It was founded in October 2022 by CEO Kwon gyeong ju.

CEO Kwon worked for more than 25 years in the field of embedded systems and automation software, gaining experience in technology development and application in various industrial settings. As a result, CEO Kwon naturally began to wonder, ‘Can't this technology be put to use where it's truly needed?’ That question eventually led to an interest in the ‘agricultural’ industry and ultimately a start-up.

“GF operates under the slogan ‘technology for people, solutions for agriculture.’ Put literally, we're a technology-centered start-up focused on solving persistent problems in smart agriculture through the fusion of cutting-edge technologies such as AI, robotics, IoT, and machine vision.”

GF is currently developing two core technologies. The first is an AI-based disease and pest detection system. This is a fully automated sorting system that distinguishes disease and pests on the surface of fruit using high-speed machine vision and an artificial intelligence model, and automatically separates defective fruit through a robotic arm and PLC-linked control. The company is currently conducting demonstrations using Asian pears and is preparing to expand to other product types, such as peaches and mandarins, by enhancing the system.

The second is an automated agricultural robot platform. This platform, a robot being developed in-house starting from the mechanical components, has been designed with a structure that allows for the replacement of hardware modules. ROS2-based autonomous software, sensor fusion, and route optimization technology have been applied to create a single robot capable of performing various smart agricultural tasks, including fruit harvesting, transportation, pest control, and precision diagnostics.

CEO Kwon said, “GF is concentrating on two problems at agricultural sites that require the most urgent solutions,” and added, “One is the automation of disease and pest screening, and the other is the mechanization of repetitive and high-risk tasks.”

“To solve these two problems, we are currently developing two main products. The first is an AI-based disease and pest detection system. This fully automated system utilizes high-speed machine vision and an artificial intelligence algorithm to identify disease and pests on the surface of fruit automatically. It then separates and removes defective fruit from the sorting line using a six-DOF robotic arm. Development is currently focused on ‘Asian pears.’ The system was designed to be expandable to soft fruits like peaches and mandarins in the future. The brightness and color temperature of the lighting are automatically adjusted, and the fruit is rotated 360 degrees so that images can be taken from various angles. It also includes PLC-linked control and an AI model version management platform, creating a structure that simultaneously reduces the instability, labor dependency issues, and quarantine risks inherent in existing manual inspections.

The second is an automated agricultural robot platform. The platform was developed entirely in-house, starting from the mechanical components. It integrates ROS2-based automated SW, a four-wheel drive system, route sensors, and a communication control system, with the most significant characteristic being the structure that allows for the replacement of hardware modules.

CEO Kwon said, “I think GF's biggest competitive advantage is in its balance between the completeness of the technology itself and its applicability in the field,” and emphasized, “The greatest strength of our solutions is that they can be flexibly applied to existing agricultural infrastructure.”

CEO Kwon also said, “The potential to turn data into an asset is another strength,” and added, “The data that arises in the disease and pest sorting process is being refined and stored in databases, so in the future we will be able to expand to a disease and pest diagnostic API or an SaaS-based service.”

GF is focusing on technological development and field demonstrations to improve the completeness and reliability of its products. “Rather than supply it right now, I think that ‘refining the technology until it's at the level where it can be applied in the field and creating solutions that customers actually want to use’ are very important for marketing. For the time being, we are actively proceeding with pilot collaborations in connection with agricultural product processing centers (APCs). Following technology trials and feedback involving actual end users such as the Suncheon APC or the Korean Pears Cooperative Union, we have already formed a consensus on the need for and effectiveness of automatic disease and pest screening. For the future, we're strongly considering entry into the B2G market based on pilot projects at public APCs. On the international side, we are conducting technology consultations with smart agriculture and distribution companies in Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Finland, and other countries, and have secured buyer contacts and exhibition participation through the Digital Global Bridge Program hosted by the National IT Industry Promotion Agency. In particular, Uzbekistan has a serious problem with disease and pests and a strong demand for expanding exports of agricultural products, so it's a perfect market for us given our technological advantage in the ‘automation of disease and pest detection.’”

Regarding future plans, CEO Kwon said, “Enhancing the technology of the AI disease and pest detection system and autonomous agricultural robot platform that we are developing is our biggest task,” and added, “So far we have focused on demonstrations and verification, but we are now moving at full-scale towards a system that encompasses product completion, scalability, and a basis for data utilization.”

Date of Establishment: October 2022
Main Business: Agricultural automation solutions, including the development of an AI-based disease and pest detection system, development of an ROS2-based autonomous agricultural robot platform, development of an IoT-embedded board and integrated control system for smart farms/smart factories, machine vision, robotics, sensor control technology, etc.
Performance: NIPA Jeonnam Information & Culture Industry Promotion Agency; currently conducting a SW service commercialization project; selected for the NIPA 2024–25 Digital Global Bridge Program (participated in export consultation meetings in Europe and Asia); conducted overseas smart agriculture demonstrations and buyer consultations in Europe, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, etc.; conducted demonstrations of the automated pest and disease sorting system for domestic agricultural product processing centers (APCs) and farms

reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com