▲Real-time traffic signal information collection and provision system configuration diagram (Image source: National Police Agency)

National Police Agency, Uiwang City, Hyundai Motor Company, Kia, and Korea Road Traffic Authority Hold Outdoor Mobile Robot Operation Demonstration
Korea's first outdoor mobile robot and traffic signal system linkage, a new horizon for future traffic safety

As the technology of the National Police Agency and Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Robotics Lab have been successfully integrated, it is expected that concerns that robots may not be able to properly respond to sudden emergencies will be allayed.

The National Police Agency announced on the 9th that it successfully completed a demonstration for the safe operation of outdoor mobile robots using real-time traffic signal information at the crosswalk in front of the Bugok Police Station in Uiwang, together with the city of Uiwang, the Korea Road Traffic Authority, and the Hyundai Motor Company-Kia Robotics Lab.

This demonstration was designed to verify whether a robot can safely cross a crosswalk using real-time traffic signal information in a complex urban traffic environment.

Last year, the Road Traffic Act (‘23. 10. 19.) and the Intelligent Robot Development and Distribution Promotion Act (‘23. 11. 17.) As the 'Operation Safety Certification and Insurance Act' are revised and implemented, outdoor mobile robots that have received operation safety certification and are insured have the same rights as pedestrians, and interest in the safe operation of robots has increased.

However, concerns have been raised that existing robots cannot respond to sudden emergencies where their view is blocked by surrounding vehicles or people at crosswalks because they only recognize the surrounding environment with their own sensors (cameras, etc.).

Accordingly, the technology presented in this demonstration links the National Police Agency's 'Real-time Traffic Signal Information Collection and Provision System' with the 'Hyundai Motor Company-Kia Robotics Lab Control System' to enable robots to accurately recognize signal information status in real time and safely cross crosswalks.

The Hyundai Motor Company-Kia Robotics Lab Control System is an outdoor mobile robot control system that comprehensively manages and controls multiple robots through real-time inspections, and is an essential system for the safe operation and efficient management of robots.

In addition to the existing traffic light recognition system using the robot's own sensors, a redundant system was built using the above technology, enabling the robot to operate more safely.

In addition, the robot can accurately recognize real-time traffic signal information to safely cross the crosswalk, and analyze detailed information such as the flashing order and time of traffic lights to optimize the movement route and reach the destination more quickly.

Kim Hak-kwan, the director of the Life Safety and Transportation Bureau of the National Police Agency, said, “It seems that outdoor mobile robots will become increasingly active and quickly settle into the service industry, and I expect that they will establish themselves as a convenient social service.” He added, “In the future, the National Police Agency will continue to work on developing related technologies and improving systems to create a traffic environment where outdoor mobile robots and people can safely coexist.”

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