Hyundai Motor Company is going to begin a test operation of its RoboShuttle (Robot and Shuttle) service on 9th August 2021. RoboShuttle is powered by artificial intelligence and autonomous driving. It is a demand-responsive and high occupancy vehicle service, which will be operative along a 6.1 km route in Sejong Smart City, South Korea.

The pilot operation will be carried through a light commercial and four-door van called Hyundai H350 (known as Solati in Korea, Malaysia, and Vietnam). It will be provided with autonomous driving technology with a range of Level 4-comparable core technologies and developed by Hyundai Motor’s in-house Autonomous Driving Center. Temporary operating authorization for Autonomous Driving Level 3 has also been obtained from the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport.

The vehicle is built on its automatic driving capability to understand the surroundings, decide and control itself while driving on the road, which requires minimal involvement from the operator. The car will be operating from the Sejong Government Complex to Sejong National Arboretum on a 6.1 km journey with 20 stops for passengers on the way.

On 12th July, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Hyundai Company and Sejong City Transportation Corporation was signed before the vehicle’s launch to ensure the smooth execution of the pilot program. Additionally, the program will also operate in partnership with Shucle (Shuttle and Circle). Shucle is a demand-responsive mobility service managed in Sejong City, launched by AIRS Company, Hyundai Motor Group’s specialized AI research laboratory.

Shucle offers shared mobility solutions, using algorithms to calculate an appropriate path on a requirement basis for passengers with similar routes. It is the first ride-pooling service launched in South Korea. The service would improve public transport efficiency as the vehicle only stops at pick-up and drop-off places pre-selected by passengers through the application.

The RoboShuttle service will integrate Hyundai Motor Group’s autonomous driving technology with AIRS Company’s AI mobility technology. When a passenger requests a RoboShuttle using the Shucle app, the autonomous shuttle goes to the pick-up place, utilizing AI algorithms, to calculate the best way to get there.

Hyundai Motor will be recruiting passengers from Sejong City starting in July who wish to experience the RoboShuttle service using the Shucle app. The pilot services of RoboShuttle will be initiated in Sejong City first, and it will gradually be expanded to other regions. 

Hyundai plans to bring the RoboShuttle Service to its researchers in Hyundai Motor and Kia Namyang Research and Development Center with autonomous driving shuttle services in the second half of this year.

Hyundai Motor is expanding its transformation into a Smart Mobility Solution Provider. In order to achieve innovative mobility options, the Hyundai company invests in modern technology such as robotics and the UAM (Urban Air Mobility), meanwhile pursuing open innovation to deliver future mobility services.