KT develops 5G-connected autonomous cart and management system for logistics warehouses

By Park Sae-jin Posted : May 25, 2020, 16:40 Updated : May 25, 2020, 16:55

[Courtesy of KT]



SEOUL -- KT, a top telecom company in South Korea, has developed two types of 5G-connected self-driving carts and a management system that effectively operates carrier robots at logistics warehouses to increase work efficiency.

KT and Twinny, a domestic autonomous robot maker, have carried out a joint demonstration of robots, Nargo which means "to carry" in Korean, and Targo, means "to follow," at KT's logistics warehouse in Goyang, a northeastern satellite city of Seoul. The demonstration found that the total distance traveled by workers was reduced by 47 percent.

Nargo, ideal for carrying large quantities of cargo, consists of a leading car that navigates autonomously and a trailing cart. Targo follows human workers around to carry a small load of cargo, making it ideal for distributing items across the warehouse.

The smart carts are hooked onto an autonomous intelligent vehicle (AIV) service based on "Mobility Makers," an integrated 5G-connected mobility platform, which acts as the control tower for self-driving carts using an ultra-fast 5G network and the indoor map of warehouse facilities. The management system can collect and analyze operation data in real time with zero latency.

"Using our communication network and Mobility Makers technology, we will expand the support for AIV to various industrial grounds so that our customers can benefit from autonomous technology in daily life," KT's connected car business center head Choi Kang-rim was quoted as saying.

KT said that Mobility Makers can link to partner companies' cloud-based control towers to operate robots remotely. The mobility platform can reduce accidents and increase the work efficiency of employees by optimizing the movements of autonomous robots in real time.

With the establishment of 5G mobile communication networks, South Korea has become one of the world's largest testing grounds for connected service robots including cargo carriers and delivery robots.

In March, Seoul adopted autonomous robots that measure temperature, sterilize negative-pressure wards and carry medical waste to prevent cross-contamination at a city-run medical center designated for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

In early May, Woowa Brothers, a domestic food delivery service company, demonstrated Dilly Tower, an autonomous service robot capable of traveling between floors, in a high-rise building. The waiter robot called the elevator to deliver drinks and coffee from an in-house cafe. The company has successfully deployed a six-wheeler version of Dilly inside a university campus in eastern Seoul to deliver snacks and meals from nearby restaurants to students waiting at designated spots.

 
기사 이미지 확대 보기
닫기