'Suseo Station Area to Open "Gangnam RobotPlus Test Field"'

Seoul's First Public Robot Infrastructure Opens on the 23rd
Supporting Productivity Improvement by Transferring Technology to Companies

Gangnam RobotPlus Test Field view. Provided by Gangnam-gu.

Gangnam-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) announced on the 18th that it will establish the ‘Gangnam Robot Plus Test Field’ in Suseo-dong and hold an opening ceremony on the 23rd.

This facility is Seoul’s first public robot infrastructure, and Gangnam-gu plans to enhance its status as the center of the robot industry and accelerate the creation of a robot hub district around the Suseo Station area.

The Gangnam Robot Plus Test Field consists of two buildings covering 5,950㎡: the Collaborative Intelligence Demonstration and Development Support Center (3 floors above ground) and the Meister Robotization Support Center (4 floors above ground). It is equipped with about 80 units of 30 types of robots, 50 types of equipment, and includes test beds, laboratories, lecture rooms, and server rooms.

At this site, the Korea Electronics Technology Institute, Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement, Korea Robot Industry Association, and Korea Testing Laboratory jointly carry out projects. The project areas include the Collaborative Intelligence-based Robot Plus Competitiveness Support Project, the Meister Robotization Infrastructure Establishment Project using Big Data, and the Collaborative Robot Safety Certification and Risk-based Infrastructure Project.

The Collaborative Intelligence Demonstration and Development Support Center conducts the Collaborative Intelligence-based Robot Plus Competitiveness Support Project. While existing industrial robots performed uniform tasks, collaborative intelligence robots add artificial intelligence (AI) to industrial robots and equipment to perform tasks. These collaborative robots are expected to contribute to productivity improvements in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and through demonstration research, the center supports companies with customized commercialization operation technologies.

The Meister Robotization Support Center promotes the Meister Robotization Infrastructure Establishment Project. As the name suggests, it researches robots that learn the skills of master craftsmen in manufacturing. Root industries such as metal processing, automotive parts, and electrical and electronics, which form the foundation of manufacturing, have relied heavily on skilled workers, resulting in decreased competitiveness.

The project aims to convert the skills of these master craftsmen into digital assets, identify representative processes with high utilization potential, and rapidly advance the process systems of SMEs. Additionally, a specialized training course for Meister Robotization professionals will be conducted for current SME employees.

The Collaborative Robot Safety Certification and Risk-based Infrastructure Project is the first in Korea to establish safety certification standards for collaborative robots and build national standards (KS). Unlike industrial robots, collaborative robots working alongside operators are exempt from fence installation but must obtain product safety certification. However, there is currently no domestic certification body, requiring high costs to use overseas certification agencies. Therefore, the plan is to establish a domestic certification system to promote the introduction of collaborative robots in industrial sites.

Furthermore, the district will utilize idle facility space to independently create a service robot test bed. The design was completed in June, and construction is scheduled for completion in September. The 1,360㎡ outdoor space test field, modeled after the Apgujeong street, will feature traffic lights, crosswalks, unpaved surfaces, lawns, and other environments similar to actual roads, allowing free testing and operation of delivery robots, patrol robots, and more.

District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong stated, “Starting with the establishment of this test field, we will focus on creating the Suseo Station area robot hub district, a driving force for Gangnam’s innovative growth, to lead the growth of Korea’s robot industry. We will build a robot-friendly city in Gangnam where residents’ daily lives become more convenient through robot technology.”