[Courtesy of Woowa Brothers]
The two companies said that LG's artificial intelligence and indoor self-driving technology would be combined with Woowa's know-how in operating service platforms to develop delivery and other robots. "We want to work with Woowa Brothers to create a better future where humans and robots coexist," said Roh Jin-seo, head of LG's robotics business.
LG has developed various service robots such as CLOi, an AI-based service robot which provides navigational services and controls connected appliances. At Incheon International Airport, South Korea's main gateway, CLOi intelligent robots are helping travelers navigate through the complex.
In February this year, LG's food service robot was put into operation at a restaurant in Seoul. Equipped with self-driving technology, it can can bring food to customers and carry empty dishes back to the kitchen. LG has partnered with CJ Foodville to develop a lineup of robots that would help workers and reduce their workload at restaurants.
"We are expanding and investing in indoor and outdoor delivery robot businesses to create a future where more people can enjoy good food wherever they want to eat," said Yoon Hyun-jun, executive vice president in charge of Woowa's new business.
Woowa has developed robots for restaurants and self-driving food delivery vehicles. It's final goal is to produce robots capable of roaming freely through the crowded urban streets to deliver food from restaurants to customers. In December 2018, Woowa partnered with Hyundai Movex, an automated logistics system provider, to develop delivery robots capable of moving between floors.
While service robots have skillfully carried out their given tasks, the development of delivery robots was slow because they are not useful in real life in a country where many city dwellers live in high-rise apartment buildings. The salient challenge is elevators. So Woowa and Hyundai Movex aim to commercialize robots which can travel smoothly between floors.
In an effort to popularize its robot service, Woowa tested a six-wheeled version of Dilly, a smart robot waiter that carry food to tables, in November last year inside a university campus in eastern Seoul. When students make orders using a delivery app, Dilly robots pick up food from nearby restaurants and deliver them to designated pickup spots.
reporter
Lim Chang-won
cwlim34@ajunews.com
