[Serving Robot CEO] ③ Hampansik VD Company CEO "We Will Create the Service Robot Market"

No.1 in Domestic Serving Robot Market Share
Competitive Edge Lies in Human-Robot 'Collaboration' Design
Parking Robots Also Being Prepared for Introduction

DaeRyung Techno Town, located in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul. Upon entering this building, where IT companies gather, the first thing that catches the eye is the serving robots. The robots carry hand sanitizers and skillfully navigate through the bustling crowd in the lobby. They stop in front of anyone so they can sanitize their hands. On the floor above, there is a restaurant where four serving robots move busily. This restaurant has introduced various store automation solutions, including not only serving robots but also table ordering and waiting systems. Service is naturally provided without staff having to go back and forth between tables and the kitchen. All of this is operated by VD Company, whose headquarters are located here. In effect, a 'testbed' has been established across the first and second floors for anyone to experience the company's technological capabilities. We spoke with CEO Ham Pansik about the future VD Company envisions with robots.

On the 26th, CEO Ham said, "The core competitiveness of VD Company lies in enabling multiple robots to collaborate with humans." VD Company was founded in 2019 and pioneered the domestic serving robot market. As of the end of last year, it supplied over 3,000 serving robots to more than 2,000 establishments nationwide, holding the number one market share. According to CEO Ham, the strength that secured this top position is the technology that creates 'collaboration.' He explained, "Serving efficiency improves when the necessary number of robots is used according to the store environment," adding, "We design the deployment so that robots do not encounter each other in the aisles or so that one robot can avoid another." In fact, there are stores where 11 robots operate on a single floor. Based on accumulated references, they can now provide optimal consulting depending on store size, food type, age group, number of customers, and purpose of introduction.

Hampansik VD Company CEO

VD Company also developed store automation solutions to streamline operations through serving robot collaboration. This was the result of focusing on creating the 'usefulness' of robots tailored to the store environment. CEO Ham said, "We integrate and unify solutions necessary for store automation, such as waiting, ordering, POS, and points, so they can be managed as one." Improving serving robot functions for collaboration also helps expand the market. A representative example is enabling robots to be called from tables so they can be used to clear dishes in buffet restaurants. They also opened the way to use robots in screen golf centers by enabling them to open automatic doors. Currently, serving robots have been introduced not only in restaurants but also in karaoke rooms, PC rooms, large supermarkets, and even factory production lines. They are preparing robots capable of moving between floors using elevators. This means coffee can be served from a cafe on the first floor to an office on the tenth floor.

So far, the focus has been on the restaurant hall, but next is the kitchen. CEO Ham said, "We will solve the labor shortage in the food service industry by automating kitchens as much as possible with cooking robots." Soon, VD Company's robots will be seen in places other than restaurants. Based on their experience in the serving robot market, CEO Ham plans to challenge other service robot markets. He explained, "We are currently considering introducing parking robots," adding, "They have been commercialized in Germany, China, and other countries, and can efficiently utilize limited parking lot space." The parking robot works by placing a vehicle in the entry zone, where it is lifted along with a transporter and then autonomously driven to an empty parking space. CEO Ham added, "We will play a role in creating a market so that South Korea can lead the global market in the service robot sector."