Delivery and Park Paths Opened for Baemin Delivery Robots

Expansion of Indoor and Outdoor Delivery Robot Operation Range... Passed Regulatory Sandbox

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] Baedal Minjok (hereinafter Baemin)'s delivery robots have now been allowed to operate on sidewalks and crosswalks, where access was previously restricted, and can even deliver food to parks.

On the 23rd, Woowa Brothers (CEO Kim Beom-jun), the operator of Baemin, announced that their indoor and outdoor autonomous delivery robot service has received approval for an ICT regulatory sandbox demonstration exemption from the Ministry of Science and ICT (hereinafter MSIT).

The regulatory sandbox demonstration exemption is a system that exempts existing regulations under certain conditions for new products and services to test and verify safety, among other factors. Woowa Brothers applied to MSIT last July for a 'regulatory sandbox exemption for indoor and outdoor delivery robot demonstration' to operate a wide range of delivery robot services on the campus of Konkuk University in Seoul and around Gwanggyo Lake Park in Suwon.

Currently, under the Road Traffic Act and the Green Park Act, delivery robots are prohibited from operating not only on roadways but also on sidewalks and crosswalks. Additionally, robots weighing over 30 kg are not allowed to enter parks. Because of this, Baemin has only conducted pilot delivery robot services within limited private areas such as Konkuk University campus and Suwon Gwanggyo Alleyway.

With the recent approval of the regulatory sandbox demonstration exemption from MSIT, Baemin can now operate delivery robot services for two years on sidewalks and crosswalks near Konkuk University campus and Gwanggyo Alleyway, as well as in Gwanggyo Lake Park. This means that customers can place orders at restaurants near the campus or around Gwanggyo Lake Park, and delivery robots will deliver the food directly to the customer's location.

This demonstration exemption approval also allows previously restricted features such as elevator control for outdoor delivery robots and the installation of external cameras. Baemin plans to conduct a pilot service of the upgraded indoor and outdoor delivery robot "Dilly Drive" within the areas of Konkuk University campus and Gwanggyo Lake Park where robot operation is now permitted by the end of this year.

Building on this regulatory sandbox approval, Baemin plans to continue the pilot service and introduce a new service next year in the first half using the next-generation "Dilly Drive" (development name Dilly Z). This model will be capable of autonomously moving from outdoor restaurants to apartment complexes, taking elevators, and delivering food right to the front door.

Kim Yo-seop, Head of the Robot Business Division at Woowa Brothers, said, "Indoor and outdoor delivery robot services can handle short-distance delivery demands that riders find difficult or are reluctant to fulfill, enhancing customer convenience and generating additional revenue for restaurants. Through this regulatory sandbox approval, we can accumulate know-how in utilizing new technologies and operating delivery robots, which we expect will greatly contribute to the advancement and stabilization of delivery robot services in the future."