[Future of Delivery] Why Does Baemin Use Chinese-Made Robots?

The main body is from Chinese robot company 'Zhen Robotics'... Software developed by Baemin installed
Ownership of driving data is an obstacle... Domestic companies concerned about technology leakage
Calls to build an ecosystem with native companies... "Market symbolism must be considered"
Woowa Brothers: "We do not close the possibility of collaboration... Domestic products are also used for serving robots"

Woowa Brothers' outdoor autonomous delivery robot 'Dilly Drive.'
Photo by Woowa Brothers

[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Bo-kyung and Lee Jun-hyung] #On the 30th of last month, when Woowa Brothers' outdoor autonomous delivery robot ‘Dilly Drive’ (hereafter ‘Dilly’) began operation, it drew the attention of pedestrians. Students took photos with their phone cameras, and children greeted the delivery robot by calling its name. It has been one year since Dilly started delivery operations at Gwanggyo Alley, a mixed-use apartment complex in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. There are 10 stores near the apartment complex, including cafes and restaurants, where robot delivery is available. When residents scan the QR code assigned to each household with their smartphones, the delivery order and payment window appear. Once the order is received, Dilly, which was parked nearby, moves to wait in front of the designated store. It arrived at the front door of Building 2, 1st floor, just 7 minutes after departing with the voice message, "I’m off to deliver."

Dilly is the first outdoor delivery robot developed and introduced by Woowa Brothers in Korea. Because of this, Dilly holds special significance in the related industry. Dilly’s origin is China. It is a product of the Chinese robotics company ‘Zhen Robotics’.

Why did Woowa Brothers partner with a Chinese company? The key lies in the ‘ownership of delivery robot driving data.’ Big data is the final key to AI autonomous driving. The more diverse data accumulated, the more the delivery robot’s capabilities evolve. For this reason, most domestic delivery robot companies, including Woowa Brothers, want exclusive ownership of driving data. The industry explains that the quality of autonomous driving for delivery robots is practically determined by big data. This is also why delivery robot companies put great effort into acquiring and processing operational data through demonstrations and other means.

Delivery robot 'RoboWhale' by Chinese robotics company 'Zhen Robotics.'
Photo by Zhen Robotics website capture

Attempts to collaborate with domestic companies were hindered by issues over driving data ownership. In the past, Woowa Brothers discussed cooperation with several delivery robot companies but reportedly failed to reach an agreement on data ownership. An industry insider explained, "Delivery robots are useless with just hardware (HW). Some companies rejected Woowa Brothers’ proposals out of concern about becoming dependent on the Baemin platform, and as a result, Woowa Brothers secured exclusive data rights by contracting with the Chinese robotics company."

There are also robotics companies concerned about technology leakage. Most delivery robot companies develop both hardware and software (SW), so friction can arise in the process of sharing technology with Woowa Brothers, who focus on software development. The fact that Woowa Brothers, which has grown into a big tech company, could ultimately become a competitor in the delivery robot market also had an impact. There have been cases where collaboration was halted due to technology leakage issues. Another industry insider said, "Last year, Woowa Brothers pursued joint development of delivery robots with a domestic robotics company, but the development was stopped due to technology leakage concerns." Since then, it is known that Woowa Brothers have not pursued joint development with domestic companies.

There are voices in the industry suggesting that, considering Woowa Brothers’ position as a leader in delivery robot development and their symbolic status in the delivery market, they should build the related ecosystem together with domestic robotics companies.

In response, Woowa Brothers explained, "For indoor serving robots, which have various models, we use products from various manufacturers such as LG Electronics," and added, "We have not closed off the possibility of cooperation with domestic companies."

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