Delivery Robots Appear in the Heart of Gangnam... "First Commercialization of Urban Autonomous Driving"

The AI autonomous delivery robot 'NewBee' developed by the delivery robot startup 'Newbility.'
[Photo by Newbility]

[Asia Economy Reporter Junhyung Lee] Delivery robot startup Newbility announced on the 5th that it has officially launched the autonomous delivery robot 'Newbee.' Newbility plans to introduce short-distance delivery robot services in urban areas such as Gangnam, Seoul, within the fourth quarter of this year.

Newbility was designated as a regulatory sandbox demonstration special case last month and started delivery robot services earlier this month in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon. The company plans to actively expand delivery robot services in downtown Seoul in the second half of this year in collaboration with partners such as Seven Eleven and Nene Chicken, with whom it recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU). This is expected to be the first case of commercialized delivery robot services in domestic urban areas.

Newbee is equipped with functions that prepare for various variables to implement urban autonomous delivery services. It integrates various sensor technologies, including more than 10 high-performance cameras, radar, and ultrasonic sensors, to recognize and predict road conditions in real time. Since it operates in densely populated urban areas, artificial intelligence (AI) technology that detects and preemptively avoids pedestrians and pets has also been applied.

The cute and friendly exterior design is another feature of Newbee. Through a circular light-emitting diode (LED) display shaped like eyes on the front, Newbee interacts not only with customers but also with people it encounters on the street. The front display can express various emotions depending on the situation. According to the company, Newbee was designed considering not only performance but also friendliness.

For safety, a belt-shaped LED light separating the driving unit, which includes wheels and power components, from the cargo area is also installed. Pedestrians can easily identify the robot even in dark places thanks to this lighting. To enhance user convenience, auxiliary lighting is installed on the handle of the cargo box carrying delivery items, allowing customers to receive products without inconvenience even in dark environments.

Lee Sangmin, CEO of Newbility, said, "Newbee, launched this time, will establish itself as a cute and smart robot that brings joy in the era of last-mile delivery services."