Trade ministry demonstrates autonomous service robots at underground shopping mall

By Kim Joo-heon Posted : October 14, 2021, 10:36 Updated : June 23, 2023, 01:51

[Gettyimages Bank]

SEOUL -- The central city of Daejeon has started a demonstration of service robots that use artificial intelligence and 5G technologies. The robots will provide various services such as coffee delivery and luggage transport in the city's popular shopping area.

In South Korea, autonomous service robots are widely used in various sectors. "Dilly Tower," an autonomous service robot developed by the operator of South Korea's top food delivery service app Baedal Minjok, is used to deliver drinks and snacks because it can travel between floors using elevators. South Korea's major telecom company KT is also operating an autonomous concierge robot called "N bot" at a hotel in Seoul to deliver food and amenities. LG Electronic's guide and cleaning robots were deployed to Incheon International Airport, South Korea's main gateway, in 2017.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a statement on October 13 that the demonstration of smart 5G-based service robots was launched in Daejeon some 145 kilometers (90 miles) south of Seoul. A total of 15 service robots including barista robots, delivery robots, guide robots and patrol robots will be showcased in the shopping area. In total, South Korea will invest about 1.9 billion won ($1.6 million) in the project.

"We will do our best to beef up the robot industry, the core of the digital new deal project, to improve citizens' quality of life," the mayor of Daejeon Heo Tae-jung was quoted as saying. Digital new deal refers to South Korea's AI-based digital transformation project to overcome the economic crisis amid the COVID-19 pandemic by converging information and communications technologies (ICT) into all industries.

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