​KT partners with robot developer Neubility to commercialize outdoor autonomous robots

By Kim Joo-heon Posted : December 16, 2022, 14:24 Updated : December 16, 2022, 14:24

[Courtesy of Neubility]

SEOUL -- South Korea's top telecom company KT partnered with Neubility, a domestic autonomous robot startup, to commercialize outdoor autonomous robots capable of providing various services in any outdoor spaces such as parks and resorts. KT's 5G infrastructure will be combined with Neubility's self-driving robot technologies.
 
Neubility's autonomous robot called "Neubie" can carry out delivery missions in complex urban areas by avoiding obstacles. The robot uses cameras instead of a GPS system to navigate urban environments even in hard weather conditions. Users can order various products from selected 7-Eleven stores through Neubie robots.
 
KT said in a statement that the company partnered with Neubility for outdoor robot businesses such as connecting self-driving robots with a delivery app. While KT will be in charge of providing its 5G infrastructure and sales activities, Neubility will develop robots and related products.
 
"We hope outdoor autonomous robot services will be adopted into daily lives and create a new wave in the domestic robot market," KT's AI robot team head Lee Sang-ho said in a statement on December 16. The two companies will also work to deal with regulations regarding autonomous robot services.
 
Currently, it is difficult to freely test robots as filming pedestrians is regarded as a violation of privacy. In October 2022, Neubility teamed up with Dongbu Insurance, a major domestic insurance company, to operate insurance services for accidents caused by self-driving robots. In case of personal injuries, up to 180 million won ($137,425) will be provided, and 1 billion won for property damage.
 
KT has released care robots and quarantine robots since it dispatched its first AI-based concierge robot called "N bot" to a Seoul hotel in December 2019. In January 2022, the company partnered with Yandex SDG, an autonomous vehicle development wing of Russia's top web portal service company Yandex, to release a delivery robot by customizing Yandex SDG's six-wheeled robot.
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