Woowa Brothers announced that it would debut its improved “Dilly Drive,” a short-distance indoor and outdoor food delivery robot, as early as the end of this year. The operator of South Korea’s top food delivery service app Baedal Minjok (Baemin) released photos and a video showing the next-generation robot’s design.
Woowa Brothers would launch the pilot service at a commercial district area in Seoul.
The new Dilly Drive features improved functionality and performance compared to the previous version. The six-wheeled robot comes equipped with indoor and outdoor integrated autonomous driving technology.
Improved Functionality and Performance
The main difference between the new robot and the previous model is the appearance of its exterior. The robot’s entire outer covering is made of a soft material that could absorb shock, keeping deliveries safe. The design minimizes the impact of pedestrians, children, and animals, even if a sudden collision occurs during delivery.
The safety feature is the result of consideration for safe delivery based on pilot operations at university campuses and apartment complexes.
In early August, Woowa Brothers partnered with SK Telecom to develop 5G-powered delivery robots. The company also test ran its robots at the Gwanggyo Alley Way complex. Last June, the company collaborated with LG Electronics and the Korea Institute for Robot Industry and Advancement (KIRIA) to create and improve robots for the foodservice industry.
The front of the body would use LEDs to communicate simple texts or images. Dilly Drive’s built-in sensors detect pressure from an impact then notifies its surroundings through the front LEDs. The delivery robot also uses an LED flag, night headlights, and brake lights to inform people of its operational status.
Woowa said that Dilly Drive has a 25-liter capacity and a 30-kilogram maximum loading weight, perfect for delivering multiple items. Its position estimation sensor and obstacle detection sensor function also allows the robot to move freely throughout buildings. Additionally, each wheel moves independently, which prevents food from shaking when passing through irregular road surfaces,
Dilly Drive would first make its formal debut as early as the end of this year after final testing and additional development, such as voice guidance.
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