At the Korea-ASEAN Special Summit
Driverless 5G HR-Sherpa successful driving


KT and Hyundai Rotem showcased 5G-based autonomous driving technology to the world, elevating Korea's status as the world's first country to commercialize 5G.
KT, together with Hyundai Rotem, attended the '2019 ASEAN-Korea Special Summit' held at BEXCO in Busan on the 26th and successfully completed a demonstration of the 5G-based multi-purpose unmanned vehicle 'HR-Sherpa'.

The HR-Sherpa is a multi-purpose civilian-military vehicle developed by Hyundai Rotem to enhance unmanned systems, optimized for industrial sites such as civil engineering and construction, as well as the defense industry for material transport and security reconnaissance.

Through this demonstration, the two companies showcased HR-Sherpa performing security missions via short-range remote control.

In addition, features such as long-distance remote driving via a separate control vehicle, dependent driving that recognizes and automatically follows a security guard in front of the vehicle, and autonomous driving that independently navigates and patrols a designated route were also demonstrated.

Starting with this demonstration, KT and Hyundai Rotem are accelerating the expansion of cooperation in 5G autonomous driving. They will participate in the Seosan reclaimed land 3D digital site management technology development project next month to verify business feasibility at civil engineering sites based on demonstrations of surveying and logistics. Afterwards, there are plans to advance technology by expanding the application of 5G-V2X (Vehicle to Everything)-based remote and autonomous driving technologies to HR-Sherpa.

To this end, KT and Hyundai Rotem signed a 'Memorandum of Understanding for the Development and Business of a 5G-based Autonomous Driving Vehicle and Control Platform' on the 5th and are currently conducting 5G autonomous driving demonstration cooperation using HR-Sherpa.

A KT official said, “The 5G network, characterized by ultra-high speed, ultra-connectivity, and ultra-low latency, is the background for the success of autonomous driving and remote control,” adding, “It was an occasion where Korea, having achieved the world’s first commercialization of 5G networks, received recognition for its 5G technological capabilities and network operation know-how from ASEAN leaders and other summit attendees.”

Choi Kang-rim, Senior Vice President and Head of KT Connected Business Center, stated, “I am pleased to represent Korea with Hyundai Rotem and showcase the results of our 5G-based autonomous driving cooperation at an event attended by ASEAN leaders,” adding, “We will strive to create diverse demand in the defense and industrial sectors through continuous technological advancement.”