Woowa Brothers and LG Electronics Sign MOU for Commercialization of Delivery Robots

Yoon Hyun-jun, Head of New Business Division at Woowa Brothers (left), and Noh Jin-seo, Head of LG Electronics Robot Business Center, signed a memorandum of understanding for a business partnership related to delivery and serving robots at Woowa Brothers headquarters in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 27th, and are taking a commemorative photo. Photo by Woowa Brothers

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] Woowa Brothers, the operator of ‘Baedal Minjok,’ announced on the 28th that it will collaborate with LG Electronics to commercialize autonomous delivery robots.

On the 27th, Woowa Brothers signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding business cooperation on delivery and serving robots with LG Electronics at their headquarters in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Key officials including Yoon Hyunjun, Head of New Business Division at Woowa Brothers, and Noh Jinseo, Head of LG Electronics Robot Business Center, attended the signing ceremony.

Through this MOU, the two companies plan to develop and pilot autonomous robots that perform tasks ranging from customer guidance in restaurants to order taking, serving, and clearing tables, and jointly develop robots exclusively for Woowa Brothers. They will also form a consortium to support the ‘2020 Service Robot Utilization Demonstration Project’ currently recruiting by the Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement.

In November last year, Woowa Brothers introduced a rental program supplying and operating the country’s first indoor autonomous serving robot, ‘Dilly Plate,’ in restaurants. Currently, 23 units are installed in 16 restaurants nationwide, with a goal to supply about 300 units by the end of the year. Regarding the outdoor autonomous delivery robot ‘Dilly Drive,’ a public test held at Konkuk University Seoul Campus at the end of last year successfully processed 2,219 orders from actual Konkuk University students, increasing the possibility of commercialization.

LG Electronics regards robots as a key future business and continuously develops robots and robot-related solutions across various fields. At ‘CES 2020’ held last month in Las Vegas, USA, LG Electronics showcased the ‘LG CLOi Dining Solution,’ a robot service for restaurant operation and management, in a dedicated robot exhibition zone.

Center Head Noh said, “Through collaboration with Woowa Brothers, we aim to create a better future where humans and robots coexist,” adding, “To this end, we will continue to introduce differentiated robot solutions that provide customers with new experiences and value.”

Division Head Yoon said, “Woowa Brothers is investing in and expanding the indoor and outdoor delivery robot business to create a future where more people can receive services ‘where they want to eat good food,’” and added, “The synergy between Woowa Brothers’ know-how, accumulated since 2017 through robot-related research, development, and testing, and LG Electronics’ robot technology is expected to be very high.”