The Gangnam District Office announced on Tuesday its launch of a demonstration project for outdoor robot delivery services in the Teheran-ro 87-gil area during the months of November and December. (Image courtesy of Gangnam District Office)
SEOUL, Nov. 8 (Korea Bizwire) – In the heart of Gangnam, Seoul, a robot waits at traffic lights alongside citizens, crosses intersections, and delivers food to nearby buildings.
The Gangnam District Office announced on Tuesday its launch of a demonstration project for outdoor robot delivery services in the Teheran-ro 87-gil area during the months of November and December.
The ‘Teheran-ro Robot Street Creation Project,’ led by the food delivery service platform Baedal Minjok, is a massive robot demonstration project that involves five organizations and businesses, including the Gangnam District Office, Seoul Metropolitan Government, LG Electronics, WTC Seoul, and the Korea Land and Geospatial InformatiX Corporation (LX). It focuses on operating delivery robots both indoors and outdoors, with COEX Mall being the central location, attracting up to 30 million visitors per year.
In the initial phase of the project, an indoor delivery robot was deployed on October 31, 2022. It transported food from restaurants within the COEX Mall to the Trade Tower offices via elevators. Currently, nine delivery robots are in operation.
In the second phase of the project, outdoor delivery robots traverse the streets. This phase aligns with the revision of the ‘Intelligent Robot Development Distribution Promotion Act,’ which includes provisions allowing self-driving robots to operate on sidewalks.
Indoor delivery robots, loaded with food from COEX Mall stores, proceed to the entrance of COEX West Gate. There, five outdoor delivery robots take over and deliver food to six designated buildings in the vicinity of Teheran-ro 87-gil.
Throughout this process, the robots autonomously navigate complex urban environments, using cameras and LiDAR sensors to avoid pedestrians and obstacles. They also cross a number of crosswalks autonomously.
To facilitate robot operations on the road and enhance their ability to identify traffic lights, the district office has refurbished sidewalks and street trees, and installed banners to guide robot operations. Additionally, pedestrian safety measures, such as floor stickers, have been put in place.
Cho Seong-myeong, the head of the Gangnam District Office, commented on the goals of the project, saying, “Gangnam District provides active support for robot demonstration projects as a testbed hub that garners interest from numerous robot companies. Building on this capacity, we aim to lead the future city by fostering a robot industry tailored to Gangnam’s unique needs.”
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
