Kakao Mobility Unveils 'KakaoT for Robots'... Launches Robot Platform (Comprehensive)

Kakao Mobility is entering the robot operation platform business in earnest, aiming to connect and control a variety of robots as the era of physical artificial intelligence (AI) arrives.

On the afternoon of the 12th, at a media study event held at Kakao Agit in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Kakao Mobility unveiled its robot platform strategy and core technologies. The company plans to enter the market with its robot operation platform, leveraging its experience operating KakaoT, Korea's largest mobility platform, to build an open robot ecosystem.

At the study event, Eungyu Kang, Leader of the Future Business Platform at Kakao Mobility, said, "We are now in the era of robot operation, not just manufacturing," and emphasized, "While robots can perform individual tasks autonomously, it is essential that they collaborate and work together." He stressed the importance of efficient operations that can control various robots deployed at a site all at once.

Kang explained why platforms are becoming increasingly important in the robotics industry, stating, "Various robots are being deployed in industrial sites, and the main issue in the market is how efficiently multiple robots can be utilized. Rather than focusing on the performance of a single device, software and platforms that optimize multiple devices as a whole are emerging as key differentiators."

To this end, Kakao Mobility has set out goals including building APIs for robots, expanding integration with mobility systems, and establishing standards for the robot ecosystem through cooperation. Kang added, "We are working to establish an open robot ecosystem through partnerships," and continued, "We have already developed standard APIs that allow various robot companies to integrate with Kakao Mobility's platform, and we are preparing to enable a wide range of hardware partners to engage in open collaboration."

The core technologies accumulated from operating KakaoT are also being applied to the robot platform. Dooyong Oh, Robot Development Leader at Kakao Mobility, who presented next, explained, "Just as we assign the optimal taxi from those nearby when a passenger requests a ride, when a service request comes in, we select the optimal available robot. The DNA of Kakao Mobility's matching technology is embedded in our robot platform."

Kakao Mobility's robot platform is already demonstrating its capabilities in real-world settings. In the hotel sector, after introducing delivery robots to Shilla Stay Seocho and integrating them with a QR code ordering system, room service revenue increased by roughly three times. At Pohang Saemyung Christian Hospital, robots deliver medication from the pharmacy to the wards on behalf of nurses, helping to share the nursing staff's workload.

Kakao Mobility plans to expand the platform's scope beyond delivery robots to include cleaning, guidance, and large-scale logistics robots.

In a subsequent Q&A session, when asked why the company entered the robotics field, Kang responded, "We see robotics as an extension of the mobility domain. Platforms are essential in environments where robots are used, and we aim to help users make the most of their robots."

Regarding plans for global expansion, he added, "Nothing has been decided concretely, but we are exploring possibilities. If the robot platform is designed to be easily adopted by companies, we believe there will be good opportunities."