SK Telecom Signs MOU with Robotis and Woowa Brothers
Robotis and MEC to Push for Integration of Robot Control System
Woowa Brothers refines autonomous driving features of delivery robots


The combination of 5G Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) and intelligent robots is expected to take place in earnest.

SK Telecom announced on the 4th that it has signed a "Joint Cooperation Agreement for the Development and Commercialization of 5G MEC-based Autonomous Robots" with Robotis and a "Business Cooperation based on 5G MEC and Smart Robots" with Woowa Brothers.

◇ Unmanned Factories Realized with 5G MEC and Autonomous Robots

SK Telecom and Robotis plan to focus on technology development to improve the autonomous driving performance of robots by applying 5G to robots to effectively transmit large-capacity video or sensor information, and to stably manage numerous robots by integrating robot control systems into MEC in the future.

SK Telecom plans to provide an ultra-low latency communication environment using 5G to enable robots to respond immediately to various obstacles and unexpected situations, and to enable seamless communication between robots and control centers.

SK Telecom's robot control systemWhen integrated into COM 5G MEC, core components corresponding to the robot's brain can be lightened, reducing robot costs and power consumption. In addition, it helps reduce infrastructure costs during rapid fluctuations in the number of robots in operation, making it possible to provide stable autonomous driving robot-linked services anywhere in the country.

Both companies also plan to develop various robot-based services, such as product loading, remote maintenance, patrolling, and disinfection, to minimize on-site factory personnel in the post-COVID era. In addition, we plan to expand the application fields of autonomous robots not only to industries such as factories and logistics but also to various aspects of daily life, including safety and the environment.

◇ 5G MEC Enables Contactless Delivery in the Post-COVID Era

SK Telecom plans to build a new unmanned distribution system by integrating its 5G MEC cloud platform '5G Edge Cloud' and 5G network operation technology into Woowa Brothers' smart robot delivery service.

The two companies plan to enhance the delivery service using Woowa Brothers' outdoor autonomous delivery robot 'Dilly Drive,' which is currently operating on an LTE network in the Gwanggyo area of Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, by upgrading it to a 5G MEC and cloud-based system to improve service stability and precision.

In addition to Dilly Drive, Woowa Brothers operates indoor autonomous serving robots such as 'Dilly Plate' and indoor autonomous inter-floor delivery robots such as 'Dilly Tower,' and expects that the integration with 5G MEC will enable even more precise autonomous driving.

The two companies have already been conducting a demonstration of applying 5G MEC to Dilly Drive at Konkuk University's Seoul campus since June, and through this agreement, they plan to strengthen related services so that customers can receive goods safely and without face-to-face contact.

Currently, SK Telecom is working to revitalize the 5G MEC ecosystem To this end, we are pursuing cooperation not only with Robotis and Woowa Brothers but also with domestic and international solution partners.