Harmful Gas Detection Robot Emerges... 3 Additional Approvals for KCCI Sandbox

KCCI-Ministry of Industry 'Sandbox Deliberation Committee' to be Held on 19th
①Harmful Gas Detection Robot, 24-Hour Real-Time Detection of Harmful Gas Leaks Around Industrial Complexes (LG-Startup Collaboration)
②Camping Power Bank (Used EV Batteries as Energy Storage Devices) ③Medical Waste Sterilization Crusher

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyewon] # Around an industrial complex with dozens of factories, residents have consistently reported complaints of a "gas smell," but no harmful gases were detected. To alleviate these concerns, the industrial complex decided to operate six "autonomous gas patrol robots" developed through a collaboration between a large corporation and a startup. These robots combine LG's 5G technology with gas sensors from the startup Dogu Gonggan. However, since the robots are classified as vehicles, they were not allowed to patrol on sidewalks within the industrial complex. The Sandbox Deliberation Committee granted a two-year special exemption to conduct demonstration tests.

The "smell-detecting robots" that will patrol 24/7 are designed to detect harmful gas leaks around the industrial complex in real time and ease the nearby residents' chemophobia (fear of chemical leaks). Additionally, camping power banks that recycle electric vehicle batteries and medical waste sterilization shredders are entering the market.

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sandbox Support Center and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held the "Industrial Convergence Sandbox Deliberation Committee" on the 19th and approved three projects: ▲ outdoor autonomous patrol robots for detecting harmful chemicals ▲ camping power banks made by reusing electric vehicle batteries ▲ medical waste sterilization shredders.

Autonomous Gas Detection Robots... A Collaboration Success Between Large Corporations and Startups

The autonomous patrol robot (D-BOT) developed by Dogu Gonggan patrols around the industrial complex to check for harmful gas leaks in real time. Using sensors attached to the robot, it detects six types of harmful gases including carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide 24 hours a day and transmits the data to a control center in real time. It also provides security services such as fire monitoring and night patrols in residential areas.

Under current laws, autonomous robots are classified as vehicles under the Road Traffic Act, so they cannot run on sidewalks or crosswalks, and under the Personal Information Protection Act, video information used for patrol activities cannot be collected without prior consent.

The Deliberation Committee approved the special exemption for demonstration, considering that real-time gas leak monitoring helps alleviate residents' anxiety near the industrial complex and contributes to urban security such as violence and fire control. Dogu Gonggan plans to deploy six robots in the industrial complex and nearby residential areas for a two-year demonstration test.

Kim Jinhyo, CEO of Dogu Gonggan, said, "By combining outdoor autonomous driving technology with existing indoor patrol robots, we have enabled services in new fields such as gas detection and crime prevention. We plan to continue developing robots specialized in various fields such as quarantine and logistics."

Camping Power Banks: Converting Used Electric Vehicle Batteries into ESS

Camping power banks converted from used electric vehicle batteries into energy storage systems (ESS) are also entering market testing. Goodbye Car applied reuse technology to batteries discarded after use in electric vehicles such as the Hyundai Kona, transforming them into camping power banks. The battery pack is divided into cells, producing 30 power banks from one electric vehicle battery. They can be used for up to 10 years and are priced over 30% cheaper than typical household power banks.

Under the current Air Quality Preservation Act, electric vehicles receive subsidies, so their batteries must be returned to local governments upon disposal, but there were no standards for reuse or performance and safety.

The Deliberation Committee approved the special exemption for demonstration, considering the resource circulation and environmental protection effects of reusing electric vehicle batteries. Goodbye Car plans to distribute 2,000 camping power banks to campsites in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province over two years after safety testing.

According to the Korea Energy Economics Institute, the number of used electric vehicle batteries in Korea is expected to reach about 78,000 by 2029. Accordingly, the Ministry of Environment and the Korea Agency for Technology and Standards will establish performance and safety standards for battery reuse products and actively utilize the results of this demonstration.

Medical Waste Sterilization Shredder: Immediate On-site Processing of Waste in Hospitals

The medical waste sterilization shredder Mekobi also received a special exemption for demonstration. It processes various medical wastes such as syringes, IV bags, and surgical tools by shredding and sterilizing them immediately with disinfectants. Since it can be installed indoors, medical waste can be treated within the hospital without being transported outside.

Under the current Waste Management Act, only three sterilization shredding methods?steam, heat pipe, and microwave?are allowed, and sterilization shredding using disinfectants was not permitted.

The Deliberation Committee granted a two-year special exemption, noting that immediate sterilization shredding at the waste generation site eliminates infection risks during storage and transport and is expected to alleviate the backlog of medical waste in Korea. However, it set the condition of thorough safety verification by specialized institutions such as the Ministry of Environment and the National Institute of Environmental Research. Applicant company Mekobi plans to install 10 units in large general hospitals in Korea to test product safety and marketability.

In addition to the above three projects, the Industrial Ministry Sandbox Deliberation Committee granted special exemptions for six projects including driving tests for hydrogen electric trams commercialization and QR code recognition-based scooter parking robot services, and temporary permits for one wiring device project such as flat-type cables and detachable multi-taps.

Woo Taehee, Executive Vice President of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, "Autonomous patrol robots and medical waste sterilization shredders are innovative products that can help public safety and lives. With the disposal of electric vehicles approaching, battery reuse issues will become prominent this year, and the demonstration of electric vehicle battery recycling products will be a key to solving these problems."

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sandbox Support Center is Korea's first private sandbox organization. It supports all industrial sectors including ICT convergence, industrial convergence, and financial innovation sandboxes. Since its launch in May, it has supported the market launch of 34 innovative products and services. Additionally, it has processed 26 cases through rapid confirmation, which verifies regulatory issues related to innovative businesses within 30 days.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.