[Courtesy of Yandex]
KT said in a statement on January 18 that the company signed an agreement with Yandex SDG to release the autonomous delivery robot in 2022. "Yandex SDG's Rover will be customized to suit South Korea's driving and communication environment. The robot can be used to deliver food or parcels," KT public relations officer told Aju Business Daily. The two companies will also carry out additional information and communication technology-related projects.
Yandex SDG's self-driving robot equipped with a 3D light detection and ranging (LiDAR) device can autonomously avoid obstacles, and navigate around pedestrian areas and crosswalks. Rover has delivered food from restaurants and grocery stores in Russia since 2020. In August 2021, the company teamed up with Grubhub, a U.S.-based online food delivery company, to provide food delivery services on college campuses.
In March 2019, South Korea's car parts maker Hyundai Mobis teamed up with Yandex to develop a deep learning-based platform for autonomous driving. The platform will ultimately become a foundation for a driverless mobility service, such as driverless taxis. Seoul is currently carrying out a five-year plan to adopt more than 300 autonomous vehicles and related services by 2026. At least 10 driverless taxis called "robotaxis" will be operated in Gangnam, South Korea's center of finance and fashion trends in early 2022.
reporter
Kim Joo-heon
jhkim123@ajunews.com
