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🇰🇷 South Korea /Technology

AI 'porter robots' to debut in South Korea's Moran Traditional Market

From Hankyoreh · (6m ago) Korean Positive tone

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Seongnam City in South Korea will pilot an AI-powered 'porter robot' service in the Moran Traditional Market to assist users with mobility issues.
  • The robot will follow users, carrying up to 20kg of luggage, and navigate complex market environments using augmented reality navigation without GPS.
  • This initiative, funded by provincial grants, aims to enhance accessibility and gather data for the development of 'physical AI' technology.

Hankyoreh is reporting on an innovative initiative by Seongnam City to introduce 'AI porter robots' in the Moran Traditional Market, marking a first for traditional markets in South Korea. This project aims to significantly improve accessibility for individuals with mobility challenges by having robots assist with carrying luggage.

The robot will follow users, carrying up to 20kg of luggage.

Describing the basic functionality of the AI porter robot.

The robots are designed to follow users after a QR code scan at the market entrance, carrying up to 20kg of goods. What makes this pilot particularly noteworthy is the integration of 'AI-based augmented reality navigation' technology, which allows the robots to navigate the intricate and often narrow pathways of the market with high precision (within a 30cm error margin) even without GPS. This is crucial for a complex environment like Moran Market, which is considered a high-difficulty testbed for autonomous robots.

This service incorporates an ‘AI-based augmented reality navigation’ service using Naver Arc-Eye technology.

Explaining the navigation technology employed by the robot.

Hankyoreh highlights that Seongnam City has formed a consortium with specialized companies, including Hypercloud and Joonssoft, with Naver Cloud providing technical support. The city secured 250 million won in provincial funding for this project, which will undergo intensive field testing from August to October.

Moran Traditional Market is considered the most difficult environment for autonomous robot demonstrations due to its complex layout and narrow aisles.

Highlighting the challenging environment for the robot's deployment.

This venture goes beyond mere convenience; it's about leveraging cutting-edge 'physical AI' technology. The data collected from this pilot will be instrumental in establishing safety standards for such robots and potentially integrating features like linking discount information to the robots, thereby boosting the market's own economic vitality. Hankyoreh views this as a forward-thinking step, showcasing how technology can be thoughtfully applied to enhance traditional community spaces and support vulnerable populations.

The city plans to conduct on-site robot deployment and intensive demonstrations from August to October.

Outlining the timeline for the robot service pilot.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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