Robots slowly integrating into everyday life in Korea

Dilly, a self-driving delivery robot developed by food delivery service Baemin’s operator Woowa Brothers, crosses a road while en route to deliver food on Teheran-ro in southern Seoul's Gangnam District, which has been specially designated for robot delivery, Nov. 7. Courtesy of Woowa Brothers

Robots are gradually becoming part of daily life in Korea, as the country’s recent amendment to the act governing the use of robots has allowed outdoor autonomous robots to drive on sidewalks for delivery, patrols and other purposes.

This change has opened new avenues for related industries, as various advantages are expected for companies utilizing robots such as labor cost reduction, increased efficiency in last-mile delivery and improvement in safety, industry officials and experts said Thursday.

On Nov. 17, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the National Police Agency implemented the revised Act on Development and Supply of Intelligent Robots. Previously, robots were not permitted to operate on sidewalks, but the revised law allows for new businesses to utilize robot delivery and patrols in outdoor environments.

These outdoor self-driving robots are required to comply with the Road Traffic Act, just like pedestrians. Jaywalking or walking on roadways is illegal, and operators of these robots who violate the regulations will be fined 30,000 won ($23). Additionally, businesses seeking to use outdoor autonomous driving robots are obliged to have insurance coverage.

Gwak Kwan-woong, a professor of mechanical engineering at Sejong University, welcomed the revision of the Intelligent Robots Development and Distribution Promotion Act, saying that more attempts in the future will lead to significant advancements, resulting in labor cost reduction and improvements in business efficiency.

"If asked whether these outdoor robots can immediately replace delivery drivers, my answer is no because this industry is still in its early stages. Until recently, testing the robots was limited to restricted areas. The fact that these robots can now be deployed on sidewalks is the most noticeable development,” the professor said.

“Delivery requires someone to physically deliver the items. If humans are involved, it is difficult to lower prices and, moreover, it is challenging to meet heavy demand all at once. In this respect, if these robots become more active, many businesses will be able to respond more effectively to higher demand at a lower cost.”

A patrol robot, co-developed by SK Telecom, Neubility and SK Shieldus, patrols the campus of Duksung Women’s University in Seoul, March 7. Courtesy of SK Telecom

He added that the use of robots for security purposes is also expected to increase in the future. "Patrolling is, in a way, the simplest and most feasible technology to implement with robots. By running it 24/7, a robot can provide continuous monitoring of an area."

As the professor mentioned, the delivery robot industry seems promising. Market researcher MarketsandMarkets forecast that the delivery robot market will grow rapidly from $210 million in 2021 to $960 million in 2026.

"Robot delivery is expected to help meet demand during peak hours and even lead to the development of specialized delivery services for offices. No one can guarantee the exact direction this business will take, but the possibilities are endless,” an official from a local delivery company said on condition of anonymity.

Following the trend, domestic companies like Woowa Brothers, which operates the popular food delivery service Baemin, and robot startup Neubility have already entered the market and are conducting pilot projects.

Neubie, a delivery robot developed by Neubility, is seen on the sidewalk near Teheran-ro in southern Seoul, Nov. 20. Yonhap

Following the revised laws, Neubility announced that it would provide robot delivery services in the area of Seolleung Station on Seoul Metro Line 2 and the Suin-Bundang Line in collaboration with KT and Gangnam District Office.

The company, known for its self-developed delivery robot called Neubie, has gained experience in Seoul, Incheon and on university campuses. Under the revised law, its robots are conducting deliveries in the Teheran-ro area, which has a high population density, to further enhance its services.

“Neubility has been accumulating technological and operational capabilities through extensive pilot operations to provide robot delivery services optimized for complex urban environments. This validation on Teheran-ro will be a valuable opportunity to provide a differentiated robot delivery experience and raise expectations further for the era of outdoor self-driving robots,” Neubility CEO Lee Sang-min said.

Woowa Brothers is also conducting a pilot project for robot delivery in Gangnam District using its self-developed robot called Dilly.

"Until recently, outdoor autonomous driving robots were unable to operate on pedestrian sidewalks. However, with the revision of the act, they are granted the status of pedestrians and allowed to use sidewalks. This can be seen as a foundation for developing various services and new businesses using these robots," a spokesperson of Woowa Brothers said.

"For now, we are operating outdoor delivery services on a small scale as a pilot project. However, with the broader implementation, we will make efforts to develop delivery robots that can deliver various items such as food and books to a wider range of customers."

As experts predict that robot delivery could potentially perform tasks that humans cannot do and replace human workers, delivery riders mostly showed lukewarm reactions to such estimations.

"While it is true that delivery robots are now becoming viable, it is currently just a pilot project, and most delivery drivers are not overly concerned. There are still many challenges to overcome, such as environmental obstacles like elevators, where networks may be disrupted,” a member of an online community for delivery drivers commented. “Many delivery workers view this as a discussion of a future scenario that is not immediately feasible.”

Safety concerns

One of the main concerns regarding self-driving robots is pedestrian safety. However, the professor said this is not a significant concern due to safety measures such as weight restrictions, speed limits and insurance coverage for robots.

To ensure pedestrian safety, robots that can travel on sidewalks are limited to a weight of 500 kilograms or less and a width of 80 centimeters or less. The speed of movement is also regulated, with a maximum speed of between 5 and 15 kilometers per hour depending on the weight.

"The key feature of these robots is autonomous driving, and they have reached a level where they can identify and avoid collisions with humans in typical situations without much worry. Furthermore, since the speed is limited, even in the event of contact accidents, there is not much risk of serious injury to pedestrians," the professor stated.