Hyundai Is Making Autonomous Deliveries In Korea With This Cute Robot

Hyundai has launched two pilot delivery service programs that use autonomous robots at both a hotel and a residential-commercial complex on the outskirts of Seoul, Korea.

The delivery robot has a storage unit sitting on top of Hyundai’s PnD modular platform showcased to the world at CES 2022 in January. This single-wheel unit combines intelligent steering, braking, in-wheel electric drive, and suspension hardware. It also incorporates LiDAR and camera sensors and moves autonomously.

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Rolling Hills Hotel is using the robot for room service from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily for delivering amenities, food, and drinks. Guests staying at the hotel can place their order using messaging app Kakao Talk and follow the delivery’s progress using real-time tracking. The delivery unit has the ability to determine the number of people boarding an elevator and can wait for the next elevator if the first one is crowded. When it arrives at the room, it recognizes the opening of the door and opens the storage compartment once it perceives the hotel guest.

Hyundai’s autonomous delivery robot has also been introduced by Korean delivery company Woowa Brothers at a residential and commercial complex in Seoul. It operates once a customer places an online order through Baemin and then finds the item at a shopping center connected to the complex and delivers it to the customer’s front door.

The automaker plans to expand the delivery robot services and expand the number of robots and their operating hours. Hyundai will also expand its business into commercial areas where delivery services are needed to connect with customers.

“PnD-based delivery robots allow quicker delivery times with improved safety through the use of autonomous driving technology, including fast obstacle avoidance capabilities,” head of Robotics LAB of Hyundai Motor Group, Dong Jin Hyun said. “We plan to keep upgrading mobility services, convenience, safety and affordability for customers through our pilot programs.”

Hyundai’s robot delivery service is part of the company’s broader strategy to expand into the rapidly growing market for autonomous technology. The company has already made significant investments in the development of self-driving cars and other types of autonomous robots and sees the delivery service as an opportunity to test and refine its technology in a real-world setting.