[Future of Delivery] Commercialization of Delivery Robots Stalled by Regulatory Hurdles

Blocked by Road Traffic Act, Park Greenery Act, and Information Protection Act
Restrictions on Crosswalk Passage, Park Driving, and Camera Filming
US, Japan, etc. Amend Laws One After Another... Industry Urges Regulatory Relief

"As more delivery robot companies enter the demonstration phase, it is essential to actively ease regulations to give these businesses room to breathe."

With the increase in online and contactless transactions, the development of delivery robots in Korea is accelerating. Most companies, including Robotis and Woowa Brothers, are currently conducting demonstration projects for two years at designated locations under the government's regulatory sandbox system. After the two-year period expires, an additional two years of demonstration is possible, but to commercialize robot delivery services, regulations that do not fit the situation must be resolved.

The industry is urging the government and the National Assembly to promptly begin discussions on legal amendments, as the delivery robot market is blocked by multiple complex regulations. A delivery robot industry official said, "In advanced countries, there are increasing cases where delivery robots are granted pedestrian or equivalent status," adding, "The government should support the growth of new industries by reforming regulations."

The representative regulation blocking delivery robot operation is the Road Traffic Act. Under this law, delivery robots are classified as ‘vehicles’ rather than pedestrians, restricting their movement on sidewalks, crosswalks, and other areas. For this reason, Woowa Brothers’ delivery robot ‘Dilly Drive,’ which is conducting a pilot service in Gwanggyo, Suwon, operated only within private apartment complexes where the Road Traffic Act does not apply before receiving a demonstration exemption. Even now, when delivery robots cross crosswalks in demonstration areas, staff accompany them. The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry has recommended that the National Assembly promptly propose a legal amendment to establish separate regulations for autonomous robots and allow them to enter sidewalks.

The Act on Urban Parks and Green Areas (Park and Green Area Act) stipulates that only power devices weighing less than 30 kg and with a maximum speed under 25 km/h are allowed to enter parks. These regulations are primarily for safety purposes. An industry official stated, "Even though autonomous mobility devices include both cars and delivery robots, the likelihood of accidents and the expected damage in case of accidents are completely different," adding, "Since the average travel speed is not much different from pedestrians and considering the materials of the robots, they are less dangerous than electric kickboards."

For robots to deliver food, they must record video with externally attached cameras to prevent collisions with pedestrians, but this action is blocked by the Personal Information Protection Act. According to this law, video usage is allowed only if consent is obtained from the data subjects, but obtaining prior consent from an unspecified number of pedestrians is practically impossible.

The act of delivery robots riding elevators violates elevator safety standards. According to current elevator safety standards, robots cannot control elevators via wireless communication, nor can wireless communication modules be installed in elevators.

Overseas, legal discussions for the introduction of delivery robots are actively underway. Virginia in the United States amended related laws in 2016 and implemented them from the following year. Washington State, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and others have also consecutively permitted delivery robots to operate on sidewalks. The Japanese government announced in March that it would amend the Road Traffic Act and the Road Transport Vehicle Act to facilitate robot delivery services.