Hyundai Motor Group Deploys Robots at Seoul Headquarters

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, May 14 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Group said Thursday it has deployed gardening, delivery and security robots at its renovated headquarters in Seoul to improve employee convenience and make it a robot-friendly building.

The robots include DAL-e Gardener, a service robot tailored for landscaping management; DAL-e Delivery for beverage deliveries; and Spot, a security robot developed by Boston Dynamics, Hyundai's robotics affiliate, according to the company.

DAL-e Gardener assists landscaping managers by watering plants using various sensors and cameras capable of recognizing spaces in three dimensions. The robot is also equipped with a robotic arm capable of vertical movement and six-axis rotation for precise watering.

DAL-e Delivery transports beverages from a cafe in the lobby to pickup zones on each floor.

When employees place drink orders through a mobile app, the robot retrieves the beverages and delivers them to the customer's preferred location. It can carry up to 16 drinks at a time and uses a facial recognition system to ensure accurate delivery.

Spot, the security robot, is a four-legged walking robot developed by Boston Dynamics and equipped with an additional autonomous driving module.

Enabled by the autonomous driving system, Spot is tasked with patrolling throughout the building.

Hyundai said the robot deployment is aimed at creating an environment where employees can naturally coexist with robots as part of its broader push to become a leader in physical artificial intelligence (AI).

The change comes after the building's lobby space reopened in March following nearly two years of renovations covering five floors, from the basement level to the fourth floor, spanning about 36,000 square meters.

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung said the renovation was aimed at promoting communication among employees and fostering innovation.

"Innovative ideas are hard to come by when you stay in one place," Chung said during a town hall meeting with employees. "I wanted to prioritize communication and create a space where employees can collaborate more closely with one another."