Autonomous Driving Pilot Service Near Jeju National University
Open to Public... Accelerating Commercialization Beyond Technology Verification
Kakao Mobility is launching a separate application (app) and starting autonomous driving services in certain areas of Jeju. Since it is available for use by the general public, it is being evaluated as having accelerated the commercialization of the service beyond the technology verification stage.
According to the IT industry on the 14th, Kakao Mobility will launch the autonomous driving service app ‘NemoRide’ on the 15th. When users call an autonomous vehicle through the app, the vehicle will come to the desired departure point and transport them to their destination free of charge. For safety reasons, a safety management officer will be seated in the driver's seat.
A scene of calling Hyundai Motor's autonomous driving pilot service 'RoboRide' using KakaoT [Photo by Kakao Mobility]
The operation areas are near the Jeju Advanced Science and Technology Complex and Jeju National University Ara Campus. These areas belong to the autonomous vehicle pilot operation zones designated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in June last year.
Kakao Mobility is responsible for platform construction, vehicle calling, and dispatching operations, while the autonomous driving startup RideFlux handled the hardware (HW) and software (SW) development necessary for autonomous vehicles.
In August 2022, the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for autonomous driving service development with Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Jeju Free International City Development Center (JDC), and KAIST’s Eco-friendly Smart Vehicle Research Center. They explored cooperation plans for autonomous driving services centered on local community users, which led to this demonstration service.
This app service launch is notable for expanding the user base. The company has previously gained autonomous driving pilot service experience at its headquarters in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, near the government Sejong Complex, and in Seoul’s Gangnam area, but the participants were limited to Hyundai Motor Company and Kia employees who took part in the demonstration.
Based on past experience, NemoRide has lowered the barrier for general users. The plan is to advance from technology verification-focused demonstration projects to a customer-facing service. The release of a separate app is also intended to facilitate smoother autonomous driving-related services.
Depending on demand, there are plans to expand the service and operation areas. Starting with passenger services, logistics services that transport goods are being considered. Regional expansion is also under review. RideFlux, a partner company, has experience operating services between Jeju International Airport and the Jungmun Tourist Complex, as well as along coastal roads near Jeju International Airport, so there is potential for expansion into airport transfer services in the future.
Kakao Mobility is pursuing business diversification into future mobility such as autonomous driving, moving away from its existing taxi-centric business structure. This approach also reduces risks by entering new markets instead of areas where conflicts with traditional operators are inevitable.
By gaining operational experience in the Jeju region, the company can secure autonomous driving data and enhance the service. A company representative said, "Our goal is to apply the know-how and technological capabilities accumulated through various demonstration projects to future commercial services."
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