SK Telecom announced on the 23rd that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the autonomous truck startup MasAuto to collaborate on advancing AI-based autonomous driving technology for large trucks.
The signing ceremony was held at SKT’s headquarters in Euljiro, Seoul, attended by SKT’s Jeong Seok-geun, Head of Global/AI Tech Division, Cho Sang-hyuk, AI Strategic Partnership Manager, and MasAuto’s CEO Park Il-su and Vice CEO Noh Je-gyeong.
MasAuto is an autonomous driving truck startup developing AI-based autonomous driving software for freight trucks, established in 2017. It succeeded in the first autonomous truck test drive in Korea in 2019 and has attracted market attention by starting a paid freight transportation business using actual autonomous trucks this year.
The two companies plan to develop more stable and advanced autonomous driving technology through driving data collection and AI analysis necessary for autonomous freight transportation in the middle mile (B2B logistics movement).
MasAuto’s autonomous driving system, ‘MasPilot,’ is centered on technology where seven cameras installed on the front, rear, and sides of the truck capture road and object information, and machine learning calculates distances based on this data to make real-time decisions and controls. MasAuto plans to use a data collection device called ‘MasBox’ to exchange and learn from a cumulative 100 million kilometers of driving data via real-time communication by 2024, and also provide a control solution for partner companies.
Compared to passenger cars, large trucks have bigger and heavier bodies and braking distances more than twice as long, making real-time communication and accurate information-based situation judgment and prediction crucial for autonomous driving. SKT will share technology and know-how with MasAuto in various areas such as connectivity including 5G, AI, and autonomous driving to provide faster speeds and higher stability, aiming to secure leadership in the global autonomous freight driving market.
Through this partnership, MasAuto will be able to provide autonomous driving services to various logistics and transportation companies it supplies in the future. Both companies expect that more partners will join the large truck autonomous driving ecosystem, creating a virtuous cycle of co-growth that generates tangible business results.
Park Il-su, CEO of MasAuto, said, “Through this partnership, we have secured the infrastructure to maximize AI’s potential,” adding, “We will create safer and more economical middle mile autonomous driving services.”
Jeong Seok-geun, Head of SKT’s Global/AI Tech Division, said, “We have high expectations as securing a partnership with MasAuto will accelerate the popularization of AI-based large truck autonomous driving,” and added, “We plan to lead customer experience innovation using AI in the autonomous driving ecosystem through continuous cooperation.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
