Source: Hankook Ilbo
Providing a Safety Verification Environment for Autonomous Vehicles and UAM with Digital Twin and Simulation TechnologyFounded by KAIST Expert Researchers, MORAI Leads K-Autonomous Driving Technology through Participation in National Key Projects and Global Research
MORAI is a leading simulation platform company specializing in verifying the safety and reliability of autonomous and unmanned systems, including autonomous vehicles and urban air mobility (UAM).
While future mobility systems like autonomous vehicles and flying cars are gaining global attention, their commercialization has been progressing slowly. Ensuring the safety and reliability of these unmanned mobility systems is crucial for advancing the technology. For autonomous vehicles, in particular, safety assurance is the most important factor in securing reliability.
Thorough safety verification is essential. However, real-world environments contain numerous variables and frequent unpredictable situations, making it practically impossible to test every scenario under real conditions. This has led to the growing importance of simulation, which allows safe and efficient testing in controlled environments as a solution to these challenges.
In this context, MORAI, a company specializing in digital twin and simulation solutions, has been gaining attention. Founded in March 2018, MORAI is dedicated to developing simulation platforms for verifying the safety and reliability of autonomous and unmanned systems, such as autonomous vehicles and UAM.
During their research on autonomous driving technology, the founders realized the need for a simulation platform. In response, they developed autonomous driving simulation software using in-house technology, providing developers with a safe and efficient environment for testing and verifying autonomous driving, which was previously conducted in hazardous and costly research environments.
Currently, MORAI supplies simulators to more than 120 companies, research institutes, and universities, including Hyundai Motor Company, Hyundai AutoEver, Hyundai Mobis, Samsung Electronics, Samsung Heavy Industries, Samsung Engineering, and Naver Labs. MORAI is at the forefront of the future mobility field, leading the way in digital twin and autonomous driving simulation. These institutions use MORAI’s simulation products for research, development, academic purposes, and policy research in the land, air, and transportation sectors.
MORAI boasts approximately 85 digital twin maps, covering not only major cities but also off-road environments, air mobility spaces, proving grounds, and university campuses. These maps provide a safety verification environment for various future mobility systems, including autonomous vehicles, unmanned robots, unmanned ships, and unmanned vehicles.
MORAI’s core technology lies in its ability to accurately simulate various autonomous driving scenarios in a digital space, identify potential issues in advance, and evaluate operational strategies before real-world deployment. MORAI’s virtual verification platform can be used to test whether autonomous driving algorithms function as intended and ensure safety throughout the entire process of perception, decision-making, and control.
What sets MORAI apart is its versatility, with applications not only for autonomous vehicles but also for UAM, unmanned robots, unmanned ships, and multipurpose unmanned vehicles, making it a critical technology for the next generation of mobility systems.
MORAI received the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport’s Award for Excellence in Smart City Transportation, recognizing the company’s expertise in digital twin and simulation technology.
Proven Technological Capabilities through Patents, Certifications, and Awards
MORAI has steadily advanced its technology, securing 79 patents, including those for autonomous vehicle simulators, virtual environment generation methods, and precision map data-based systems. In 2023, MORAI’s technological capabilities were recognized when the company won the Excellent Patent Award from the Korea Institute of Patent Information.
Additionally, MORAI obtained ISO 26262 certification for its autonomous driving simulation platform from SGS-TÜV Saar, an international certification body, confirming its globally recognized expertise in evaluating and verifying the safety of autonomous systems. Recently, the company was awarded the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport’s prize for excellence in smart city transportation, further recognizing its strengths in digital twin and simulation technology in the smart city and mobility sectors.
MORAI was also selected as one of the “Top 100 Defense Innovation Companies” for 2024, acknowledging the innovation and competitiveness of its simulation technology in the defense sector. Through this project, MORAI aims to build an M&S (Modeling & Simulation) system for Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T), driving digital innovation in the defense industry.
MUM-T is a technology that allows manned and unmanned systems to collaborate in missions, maximizing efficiency and combat power.
M&S technology helps soldiers enhance their tactical judgment and responsiveness by virtually replicating real combat scenarios, enabling repeated training across various simulations. Additionally, M&S is crucial in defense system development and verification, allowing for performance evaluations and optimal designs in virtual environments, making it an essential technology for the defense sector.
MORAI’s solution provides a virtual environment and operational scenarios for testing and verifying the performance of unmanned systems, including multipurpose unmanned vehicles. In this project, MORAI will develop a verification environment that improves the autonomous driving performance and stability of multipurpose unmanned vehicles using real-virtual convergence technology.
Leading K-Autonomous Driving Technology through International Collaboration and Global Research
MORAI is actively participating in both domestic and international research on autonomous driving technologies, further enhancing its technological capabilities. Recently, MORAI became the only Korean startup to participate in "Horizon Europe," the world’s largest multilateral research program, and will be conducting international joint research. MORAI is also collaborating with leading institutions such as the University of Michigan, Purdue University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Japan’s TIER IV, the world’s first developer of open-source autonomous driving software, contributing to global autonomous driving technology exchange.
MORAI is also involved in a national project led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy titled “Developing an International Certification System through Global Open Alliance.” The project focuses on developing an open platform validation environment that meets global standards to lead the autonomous driving industry. MORAI is responsible for developing a simulation-integrated VILS (Vehicle-in-the-Loop Simulation) system based on open-source technology.
VILS connects real vehicles with virtual environments to test and verify autonomous driving technologies. It virtually replicates various real-world scenarios to evaluate how autonomous vehicles respond in real-time.
Alongside these international research efforts, MORAI is expanding into overseas markets through partnerships with global companies such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Nvidia, and Ansys. Recently, MORAI established a branch in Germany, expanding its presence in the EMEA market. The company is also collaborating with various European companies, including Zala Zone in Hungary and AVL in Austria, to develop autonomous driving and mobility technologies.
Driving Customer Growth and Innovation in Mobility with Advanced Simulations
MORAI’s mission is to drive customer growth and industry innovation in the mobility sector through its advanced simulation platform. The company supports autonomous driving researchers and manufacturers in testing their products more effectively and improving them based on test results.
Currently, MORAI is participating in over 20 national R&D projects related to autonomous driving and plays a leading role in establishing Korean autonomous vehicle evaluation and certification systems, component assessment, and standardization efforts. The company continues to refine its technology with the goal of becoming the global standard for autonomous driving simulation.
Recognizing the importance of talent development in the autonomous driving industry, MORAI is also actively focused on training the next generation of experts in autonomous vehicles, unmanned mobility, and robotics. The company collaborates closely with various organizations dedicated to workforce development. In June, MORAI signed an MOU with the Korea Military Academy to foster digital talent in the defense sector. Through education and research in areas such as M&S and unmanned weapons systems, this partnership aims to train the next generation of defense technology experts and lay the foundation for a technologically advanced military.
MORAI has donated its autonomous driving simulation software to support the education and research of professors and cadets at the academy.
MORAI also collaborates with universities both domestically and internationally, integrating its simulators into educational programs, helping students verify algorithms and enhance their skills in AI and autonomous driving technologies. As part of its talent development efforts, MORAI sponsors and organizes autonomous driving competitions.
MORAI is preparing for a new phase of growth, with plans for an IPO in 2025. Through this, the company aims to strengthen its competitiveness in the global mobility market and expand its R&D investments.
Building on its experience in the autonomous vehicle sector, MORAI is expanding its capabilities to verify the safety of next-generation mobility systems, including aviation, unmanned robots, unmanned ships, and unmanned vehicles.
MORAI’s goal is to become a leading player in the future mobility field by creating new market opportunities based on its technological superiority. The company is committed to advancing its technology and accelerating the commercialization of autonomous driving through close collaboration with companies in the field.