LG Electronics developing an indoor-outdoor robot

LG Electronics' indoor-outdoor delivery robot [LG ELECTRONICS]

LG Electronics unveiled a delivery robot capable of moving both in and outside of the buildings to capitalize on the growing automated delivery market.

The tech company said on Tuesday that it showcased the indoor-outdoor robot at the International Conference on Ubiquitous Robots held in Gangneung, Gangwon, with an aim of test-operating it by the end of the year.

Fitted with four wheels, the service robot is designed to examine and navigate obstacles and road conditions.

The company expects the robot to respond to the growing interest in contactless services in the pandemic era.

“The integrated indoor-outdoor delivery robot is designed to meet the growing demand for contactless service in a preemptive manner,” said Kim Byoung-hoon, head of the Future Technology Center.

The move is a part of the company’s efforts to position itself for new businesses, including robotics and automotive parts, beyond home appliances.

LG Electronics opened a robotics lab in Boston last year to boost its competitiveness in robotics technologies.

There, it is collaborating with Kim Sang-bae, a mechanical engineering professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to develop robots with physical intelligence capabilities. Those robots specialize in quick moves and active responses to external conditions.

The company also experimented with existing robots to offer different services.

For instance, it partnered with GS25 last year to introduce a robot delivery service inside LG Science Park, LG Group’s research headquarters in Magok-dong, western Seoul.

LG Electronics brought in its CLOi robots to run the delivery service, where customers place orders via KakaoTalk and have the items delivered straight to their offices in the nine-floor building.

There is also a barista robot named LG CLOi BaristaBot.

The robot obtained the country’s first robot coffee master license last year from the Korea Coffee Association and serve coffee at major LG Best Shop branches and the headquarters of the company.

BY PARK EUN-JEE [park.eunjee@joongang.co.kr]