Gaonchips to Develop AI Chip for Next-Generation Drones Using Samsung 8nm Process

What happened

Gaonchips said on Oct. 19 that it will participate in the development of an artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor for next-generation unmanned systems operated by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Gaonchips will serve as a joint research and development partner in an aerial unmanned platform project overseen by KAI under the K-On-Device AI Semiconductor Technology Development Project, supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR), with Supergate as the lead developer. The project aims to develop an AI system-on-chip (SoC) to serve as the brain of next-generation expendable unmanned aerial vehicles, enabling drones to run AI and carry out missions independently through on-device processing even where communications are disrupted or limited. Gaonchips will implement a domestically developed neural processing unit (NPU) and radar signal processing technology using Samsung Electronics' 8nm foundry process, and will handle physical design and final design verification of the entire chip; KAI will be responsible for system integration and verification of the unmanned platform, and Supergate will lead AI chip architecture design and software development. Gaonchips has experience developing and mass-producing 5nm on-device AI semiconductors and has worked on a 2nm GAA process and 2.5D packaging AI accelerator design project for a Japanese customer. The announcement describes a development project; no production or commercialization results are reported.

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Source and time

Source: The Elec · 10/19/2026 · View original source