LG Electronics' 'AI Autonomous Driving Robot' Completes High-Risk Equipment Diagnosis Demonstration at POSCO Gwangyang Steelworks

Mission Completed for Equipment Safety Inspection in Hard-to-Access Areas
LG Electronics Demonstrates Smart Factory Technology Expertise

LG Electronics is advancing smart factory technology by utilizing robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

On the 15th, LG Electronics announced that since the 13th, it has been conducting an unmanned facility management pilot project using indoor and outdoor autonomous driving robots in the underground electrical room of POSCO Gwangyang Steelworks' 4th hot rolling mill.

LG Electronics conducted a demonstration project of AI autonomous driving robots for two days starting from the 13th at the underground electrical room of POSCO Gwangyang Steelworks' 4th hot rolling mill. The photo shows LG Electronics' AI autonomous driving robot.
[Photo by LG Electronics]

In this pilot project, the robot completed its tasks independently without worker intervention. It patrolled by autonomously finding navigable routes while avoiding drainage channels in the underground electrical room, which is larger than two soccer fields in area. The robot also inspected the operating status of various equipment located throughout the electrical room, such as power cables, transformers, and reactors, and successfully performed unmanned facility management by sending the results to the in-house control room.

LG Electronics equipped the robot with cameras and LiDAR sensors, enabling it to accurately recognize its surroundings by comprehensively utilizing the information obtained from these sensors. The recognition rate remains high even in low-light environments like basements or areas where safety fences are installed around equipment. When AI detects abnormal temperatures in various equipment within the electrical room by using thermal imaging cameras, it captures images and sends alerts to the control room.

In particular, considering the high-temperature and high-voltage power equipment environment of the steelworks' underground electrical room, LG Electronics enhanced the robot’s heat dissipation and cooling performance. Additionally, the control room operator can monitor the robot’s driving information and remotely control it if necessary, ensuring stable operation even in special environments. The robot’s modular design allows it to switch to various tasks such as patrolling and delivery according to customer demand, which is another advantage.

Through this collaboration, LG Electronics and POSCO plan to share their respective smart factory technological capabilities and accelerate the creation of more efficient and safer manufacturing sites. LG Electronics is especially focused on advancing smart factory technologies such as robotics, AI, and communications to secure world-class manufacturing competitiveness.

Meanwhile, this pilot project is part of a business agreement previously signed between LG Electronics and POSCO Holdings. In May, LG Electronics and POSCO Holdings signed a memorandum of understanding for technology development in robotics, AI, and communications (5G private networks), and in July, they conducted the first phase of the pilot project, which involved semi-automated control of driving robots.