LG Uplus Develops 5G-Based Autonomous Driving Technology for Unmanned Special Vehicles

Gwangju Metropolitan City Unmanned Low-Speed Special Vehicle
Collaboration with 15 Specialized Companies in Regulatory Sandbox Zone

An unmanned street cleaning vehicle operating in the Gwangju Regulatory Free Zone area

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] LG Uplus is joining the development of unmanned special vehicle autonomous driving technology utilizing 5G mobile communication technology.

LG Uplus announced on the 9th that it signed a business agreement for '5G-based unmanned special vehicle autonomous driving business cooperation' with specialized companies within the unmanned low-speed special vehicle regulatory free zone in Gwangju Metropolitan City.

The business agreement included 15 specialized companies such as the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, the project client, AM Special Vehicles, Fine Special Vehicles, and IMR. Participating companies will connect 5G mobile communication to unmanned special vehicles to advance autonomous driving technology and develop related technologies.

An unmanned waste collection vehicle for industrial complexes driving around the Gwangju Regulatory Free Zone area

An unmanned special vehicle is a special-purpose vehicle that autonomously drives at speeds below 10 km/h for public services such as road surface cleaning, household waste collection, and traffic information collection. It operates in an unmanned autonomous driving mode without the need for a driver onboard and can respond to emergencies through external remote control and emergency stop commands.

Currently, operators in the special zone have completed accident-free demonstrations covering a total distance of 846.46 km and 371 hours on various roads including Pyeongdong Industrial Complex, Suwan District, and Uchi Park. The demonstration area is planned to be expanded next year.

Im Bang-hyun, Executive Director of Western Corporate Sales at LG Uplus, said, "Through this business agreement, we can greatly strengthen competitiveness related to autonomous driving by combining the technological capabilities of leading companies in each field of the unmanned special vehicle business. We expect this to be an opportunity to advance LG Uplus's 5G, dynamic map, high-precision positioning (RTK), and V2X (Vehicle to Everything) technologies."

Yoon Dong-ho, a researcher at the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, said, "We have completed the establishment of the control center and communication infrastructure for the development and demonstration of unmanned special vehicles, and we plan to actively support the collection and sharing of demonstration data and technological advancement going forward."

Kim Kyung-soo, CEO of IMR, said, "Introducing autonomous vehicles in the public service sector is expected to reduce the driving burden on workers such as sanitation workers and improve operational efficiency," adding, "We plan to expand the demonstration areas and extend services nationwide and into the public service sector in the future."