Lee Min-hyung joined The Korea Times in 2014 and has worked as a journalist mainly in Korea’s finance, tech and automotive industry. He specializes in content creation, breaking news and in-depth analysis currently on transportation and mobility. You can reach him via mhlee@koreatimes.co.kr.
Hyundai Motor transforms headquarters into robot-friendly workplace
Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, left, smiles as he speaks during a town hall meeting to celebrate the renovation of the carmaker's headquarters lobby in Seoul, Thursday. On the right is Alexandra Villegas, a design director at Studios Architecture who led the project. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group
By Lee Min-hyung
Automaker redesigns headquarters lobby to foster flexible communication
Hyundai Motor Group is signaling its broader transformation into a robot-friendly mobility firm by deploying a range of advanced service robots throughout the carmaker's renovated headquarters lobby.
The initiative aligns with the group’s much-touted vision to evolve into a physical artificial intelligence (AI) firm. At this year’s CES tech fair in January, the carmaker drew attention for presenting its robotics vision to become a leading physical AI player in the mobility sector.
The firm has introduced three robot services as part of its headquarters remodeling project: the DAL-e Gardener watering robot, DAL-e Delivery robot and the quadruped Spot security robot.
A redesigned central atrium of Hyundai Motor Group's headquarters in Seoul / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group
DAL-e Gardener assists facility managers by autonomously watering plants placed throughout the lobby. Equipped with advanced sensors, the robot can recognize plants, soil and flower beds in three-dimensional spaces. Its robotic arm, capable of vertical movement and six-axis rotation, enables precise watering.
DAL-e Delivery transports beverages from the first-floor cafe to pickup zones on each floor. Employees can place orders through a mobile app, after which the robot autonomously delivers drinks to designated locations. It can carry up to 16 beverages simultaneously and uses facial recognition technology to verify recipients.
Spot, developed with the quadruped robotics platform from Boston Dynamics, has been integrated with Hyundai Motor Group’s autonomous driving module, enabling it to patrol the building independently and provide continuous security monitoring.
DAL-e Gardener waters a tree at Hyundai Motor Group's headquarters in Seoul. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group
To support the robot ecosystem, Hyundai Motor and Kia introduced robot-exclusive charging stations and elevators inside the building. The robots autonomously recharge at designated “robot stations” and move between floors without human assistance.
The latest lobby renovation itself reflects Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun's vision of creating a more open and collaborative workplace culture.
“This renovation was not simply about redesigning a space,” Chung said during a town hall meeting, Thursday. “It was a process of rethinking how we can build a better working environment while carrying forward the experiences, achievements and ideas accumulated here over many years.”
Boston Dynamics' four-legged Spot robot dog conducts security patrol inside the headquarters of Hyundai Motor Group in Seoul. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group
The remodeled lobby spans from the basement level to the fourth floor, covering approximately 36,000 square meters — equivalent to about five football fields.
Hyundai Motor said the redesigned space is intended to encourage spontaneous communication, collaboration and creative exchanges among employees.
“When we prepare for the lobby renovation, the keyword was communication,” Chung said. “We need to be more flexible to better understand customers. Each employee and executive have great ideas and capabilities, and we will be able to create much bigger achievement, once we connect them one another.”