Source: Hankuk Ilob
Ensuring Safety for Autonomous Vehicles and Future Mobility through Digital Twin and Simulation Technologies
With a specialized team of researchers from KAIST, MORAI is leading the way in K-autonomous driving technology by actively participating in critical national projects and international research initiatives.
MORAI is a leading simulation platform provider focused on verifying the safety and reliability of autonomous and unmanned mobility systems, including self-driving vehicles and urban air mobility (UAM). /Courtesy of MORAI
While future mobility solutions like autonomous vehicles and flying cars are gaining global attention, the path to commercialization remains slow. Securing the safety and reliability of these unmanned systems is crucial for technological progress. This is especially true for autonomous vehicles, where ensuring safety is the cornerstone of achieving reliability.
Rigorous safety verification is therefore essential. However, real-world environments are filled with unpredictable variables and frequent unexpected scenarios, making it nearly impossible to test all conditions and scenarios in real life. This challenge highlights the growing importance of simulation as a solution for conducting tests in a safe and efficient environment.
Here, MORAI, a company specializing in digital twin and simulation solutions, has taken the spotlight. Founded in March 2018, MORAI is dedicated to developing simulation platforms to ensure the safety and reliability of autonomous and unmanned mobility systems, such as self-driving vehicles and UAM.
The company recognized the need for a dedicated simulation platform early in its research on autonomous driving, which led to the development of proprietary simulation software that allows for a safe and efficient environment for autonomous driving development and verification—replacing the risk and high costs associated with traditional research setups.
Currently, MORAI supplies simulators to more than 120 organizations, including Hyundai Motor, Hyundai AutoEver, Hyundai Mobis, Samsung Electronics, Samsung Heavy Industries, Samsung Engineering, and Naver Labs. MORAI simulators are driving research, development, academic study, and policy analysis across future mobility fields such as land, aviation, and transportation.
MORAI’s capabilities include a portfolio of approximately 85 digital twin maps covering major cities in Korea and abroad, off-road environments, air mobility routes, proving grounds, and university campuses. These maps serve as the foundation for MORAI’s testing environments, enabling the safety verification of a wide range of future mobility systems, including autonomous vehicles, unmanned robots, unmanned ships, and other unmanned vehicles.
The core of MORAI’s technology lies in its ability to accurately simulate various autonomous driving scenarios in digital environments, identify potential issues early, and evaluate operational strategies. MORAI’s platform functions as a virtual verification tool, allowing for the safe testing of the perception, decision-making, and control processes essential to autonomous driving algorithms.
Notably, MORAI’s platform is versatile, supporting a full range of next-generation mobility systems, including UAM, unmanned robots, unmanned ships, and multipurpose unmanned vehicles.
MORAI has been recognized as an excellent company in the field of smart city transportation and mobility, receiving the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport award for its excellence in digital twin and simulation technology. /Courtesy of MORAI
Technology Verification Through Patents, Certifications, and Industry Recognition
Through continuous technological advancement, MORAI has secured 79 patents in areas such as autonomous vehicle simulators, virtual environment creation methods, and precision map data systems. In 2023, the company received the Korea Patent Excellence Award from the Korea Intellectual Property Office, affirming its technological leadership.
MORAI also obtained ISO 26262 certification for its autonomous driving simulation platform from the international standards certification body SGS-TUV Saar, establishing its reputation for safety assessment and verification capabilities. Recently, the company received the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport award for smart city transportation, further acknowledging its excellence in digital twin and simulation technologies in the fields of smart city transportation and mobility.
MORAI’s innovative simulation technology has also been recognized in the advanced defense sector, where it was selected as one of the 100 Defense Innovation Companies for 2024. As part of this project, MORAI plans to drive digital innovation in defense by establishing a modeling and simulation (M&S) system for Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T).
MUM-T enables coordinated operations between manned and unmanned systems, maximizing efficiency and combat capability in future battlefield operations.
M&S technology allows for the virtual reproduction of real combat scenarios, enhancing soldiers' tactical decision-making and response capabilities through repeated scenario training. Additionally, this technology is crucial for the development and verification of defense systems, as it enables performance evaluations and optimal design through virtual environments.
Through digital twin and simulation technology, MORAI provides virtual environments and operational scenarios for next-generation unmanned defense systems, including multipurpose unmanned vehicles, assisting with performance testing and verification. In this project, MORAI will create a verification environment that enhances the autonomous driving performance and stability of multipurpose unmanned vehicles through real-virtual environment fusion technology.
MORAI is actively engaged in domestic and international autonomous driving research to elevate its technological capabilities. /Courtesy of MORAI
Leading K-Autonomous Driving Technology through International Collaboration and Global Research
MORAI is actively involved in autonomous driving research, both domestically and internationally, to continuously elevate its technological capabilities. Recently, it became the only Korean startup to participate in the Horizon Europe project, the world’s largest multilateral research initiative, and it plans to engage in international collaborative research. Additionally, MORAI is working with institutions like the University of Michigan, Purdue University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Japan’s TIER IV—the world’s first autonomous driving open-source software developer—in joint autonomous driving research.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, MORAI is participating in the “Global Open Alliance for Autonomous Driving Certification” project, which aims to develop an open-platform verification environment that meets global standards in the autonomous driving industry. MORAI is leading the development of Vehicle-In-the-Loop Simulation (VILS), which connects real vehicles to virtual environments for testing and verifying autonomous driving technology.
Alongside these international research activities, MORAI is expanding its presence in overseas markets through collaborations with global companies like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Nvidia, and Ansys. The company recently established a branch in Germany to expand into the EMEA market and is collaborating with European companies, including Hungary's Zala Zone and Austria's AVL, to advance autonomous driving and mobility technologies.
With its advanced simulation platform, MORAI aims to support customer growth and drive innovation in the mobility sector. /Courtesy of MORAI
Driving Growth and Innovation in Mobility Through Advanced Simulation
MORAI’s mission is to support the growth and innovation of the mobility industry through its advanced simulation platform. The company enables autonomous driving researchers and manufacturers to conduct effective product testing and make improvements based on testing results.
MORAI is currently engaged in more than 20 R&D projects across over 20 countries in the autonomous driving field. The company plays a leading role in establishing Korean standards for autonomous vehicle evaluation, component evaluation, certification, and the standardization and regulatory development of autonomous vehicles, with a focus on positioning simulation as a global standard through ongoing technological advancement.
Recognizing the significance of the autonomous driving industry, MORAI is also committed to fostering talent in this field. To support workforce development in autonomous systems, unmanned mobility, and robotics, the company collaborates closely with training programs and academic institutions. In June, MORAI signed an MOU with the Korea Military Academy to nurture digital talent in the defense sector.
MORAI supports education and research on new technologies such as M&S and manned-unmanned weapon systems to develop future defense technical talent and lay the foundation for a military based on advanced science and technology. The company has provided its autonomous driving simulation software to the Korea Military Academy, enabling faculty and cadets to benefit from this resource in education and research.
Through partnerships with domestic and international universities, MORAI is helping students validate algorithms and build expertise in AI and autonomous driving by incorporating its simulators into educational programs. As part of its talent development efforts, MORAI sponsors and organizes autonomous driving competitions.
MORAI is preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) by 2025, aiming to enhance its competitiveness in the domestic and international mobility markets and expand its investment in research and development (R&D).
Building on its experience in autonomous vehicle technology, MORAI is expanding its capabilities to ensure the safety of a broad range of next-generation mobility systems, including aviation, unmanned robotics, ships, and vehicles. The company’s goal is to create new market opportunities and reinforce its position as a leader in future mobility, leveraging its technological strengths and accelerating commercialization in autonomous driving through stronger collaborations with industry partners.