[Future of Delivery] "Oh? Dilly is coming!"... Baemin Robot with 1 Year of Autonomous Driving

Outdoor Delivery Robot 'Dilly Drive' at Suwon Gwanggyo Alleyway
Residents Acknowledge Robot Presence... Begin to Accept It as Part of Daily Life
Fully Autonomous Driving Level Not Yet Achieved... Accompanied by Control Center Staff

"Oh? Dilly is coming!"

On the 30th, as Woowa Brothers' outdoor autonomous delivery robot ‘Dilly Drive’ (hereafter Dilly) began operation, passersby’s attention was drawn. Students took photos with their phone cameras, and children expressed delight by calling out the robot’s name. It has been exactly one year since Dilly started delivery work at Gwanggyo Alley, a mixed-use apartment complex in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. Now, it is a well-known local landmark among residents.

With its big round eyes and three wheels on each side turning diligently as it performs deliveries, residents responded positively with comments like "cute," "no discomfort," and "familiar since I see it often." Robot delivery has become a familiar sight here. A Woowa Brothers robot business office official said, "Residents not only recognize the robot’s presence but have reached a level of accepting it as part of daily life."

"I’m off"… Delivery up to the first-floor entrance

There are about 10 stores within a few hundred meters, including cafes and restaurants, where robot delivery is available. When a QR code assigned to each household is scanned with a smartphone, a window for ordering and payment appears. Once an order is received, Dilly, parked outdoors, moves to the front of the corresponding store and waits. After a voice message saying "I’m off to deliver," it arrived at the first-floor shared entrance of Building 2 in just 7 minutes. During delivery, it also called the customer to inform them, "I’m arriving soon."

Dilly, which has been in pilot service since August last year, expanded its operational range after receiving government regulatory sandbox demonstration approval, allowing it to cross crosswalks. It has delivered to over 1,240 households even on windy, snowy, or rainy days. It handles about 10 to 12 orders per day. Delivery is free from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, and there is no minimum order amount.

Focus on safety and efficiency over speed

Woowa Brothers operates the Dilly service with a focus on safety and efficiency. Rather than providing a fast service that replaces humans, they pursued safe and accurate delivery that customers and business owners can trust. However, many challenges remain for robot delivery. A Woowa Brothers official said, "It is not fully autonomous driving technology," and "staff stationed at the real-time control center monitor Dilly."

Dilly is equipped with cameras on the front and back to recognize surroundings and avoid obstacles, but if it collides with a vehicle violating traffic signals, it is helpless. For safety reasons, a staff member must accompany Dilly when it crosses crosswalks. Currently, a limitation is that customers must go to the first-floor waiting area to receive food, but elevator boarding and alighting functions are expected to be added to Dilly within this year.